Finding Lazarus

by Roger Emile Stouff

Lazarus Smith. The only name he ever knew, but it was not his. Whatever he had been called before, whoever gave him the gift of a name, existed only in dreams of fire.
For seventeen years he watched a world he could not comprehend or touch from high windows and behind the iron gates of an orphanage.
Then he was set free, and he took to the road, with only vague recollections of fire, people who loved him, and a name scribbled on paper: Lawson Mountain.
Somewhere within the mountains west of Charlotte he believes there are people like him. People who know his true name, and perhaps what happened to his family.
The beloved, larger-than-life Native American from ‘The Lawson’s Peak Stories', the boy who will become Lazarus Askuwhetea embarks upon his own life story in this new series by Roger Emile Stouff.

298 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 18, 2015

About the author

Roger Emile Stouff is the son of Nicholas Leonard Stouff Jr., last chief of the Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana, and Lydia Marie Gaudet Stouff, daughter of a Cajun farmer. He has been a journalist for more than thirty years and writer of the award-winning column "From the Other Side" in the St. Mary and Franklin Banner-Tribune. He was featured on the television show "Fly Fishing America" in 2006, and was writer and narrator of the documentary "Native Waters: A Chitimacha Recollection" on Louisiana Public Broadcasting in 2010. Based on his two memoirs, "Native Waters" and "The Great Sadness," the show is now showing on public broadcasting stations nationwide, was nominated for an Emmy and was recipient of a Bronze Telly Award.

He writes extensively about his Native American ancestry in autobiography, fiction and short stories, including the connection the Chitimacha, "people of the many waters" hold to the ancestral waters of the Atchafalaya Basin.

With co-author Kenneth Brown he has also authored science-fiction and epic fantasy novels, including the first two books of the series "The Allidian Saga."

Reviews

[James Milson · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are some books which seem to read themselves, and "Finding Lazarus" is one of those. The pace starts quickly and never subsides. Describing this as a traditional coming of age story would be a disservice,as it is so much more. It is entertaining, informative, engrossing and suspenseful all at the same time. Wonderful, storytelling, as Lazarus moves forward to discover who he really is. The characters are well developed and defined, making the reader care about what happens to them, with unexpected events and surprises making nothing predictable. Roger Emile Stouff enriches the story with sincere and passionate insight into Native American culture, and his writing style perfectly complements the theme and setting of the story. One of the most imaginative, enjoyable and entertaining stories I have read in a long time. Most highly recommended!

[Jim E. Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding

As with Rogers other writings this one keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout the whole novel. Looking forward to the next one. I highly recommend his other works.