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Widow Walk Saga #1
Widow Walk
It is 1857 in the American Pacific Northwest where less than 3500 non-natives have begun settlements. Tensions between local indigenous tribes and pioneer settlers are growing. The U.S. territorial governor has called for a "war of extermination" against natives. Complicating it all, the local British and U.S. Armies begin preparing for war in a boundary dispute. Haida native Anah-nawitka, widely known by native foes and white settlers as "The Black Wind," addicted to the rush of his kills and the satisfaction of delivering vengeance to the encroaching white colonists, embarks on yet another predatory raid to the south. Boston-bred Emmy Evers carves out a life for herself and her family amidst her island home's wild streams and woods while her husband Isaac, a prominent local leader, is frequently away. This is a frontier where a tenuous peace will soon give way, and test the will and endurance of one exceptional woman.
322 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 18, 2015
1181 people are currently reading
656 people want to read
About the author
Gar Lasalle
7 books32 followersBorn in Seattle, Gar LaSalle writes from his home in Seattle and his studio on Maury Island in the Puget Sound area of Washington State.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
February 19, 2018
This book revolves around settler Isaac Evers, and the native population of the Pacific Northwest.
Whidbey Island is the place where Isaac has helped form a settlement, where water is abundant and hunting is good.
Needless to say, the indigenous people, who have resided in the area for millennia, are not happy with people they consider invaders on their land. Clashes are bound to happen.
Isaac frequently leaves his homestead to go on expeditions, leaving his wife and family behind. Emily is a strong woman, unfraid of work, and is determined to prove to Isaac she can keep the homestead not only running - but prospering - while he is gone. She is a huge success, bringing in record profits by making deals to sell wood and other necessities to a growing population of people who take the goods to be sold in other areas of the growing country. She lowers her prices to compete with others doing the same, and gets even more business. However, when Isaac does return, he simply takes over and never really seems to appreciate how hard Emily has worked, nor does he seem to realize her new ideas are what brought increased success.
At the same time, a feared Haida warrior, Anah, and his people, have suffered mightily at the hands of the intruders. With nothing to lose, he is quite unafraid to kill when he finds the opportunity. His reputation precedes him, and all along the water, everyone watches for Anah and his followers, knowing if they attack, death will be the result.
The book is well written, and at times joyful, but also sad quite a bit. The treatment of the Native indigenous people is brutal, and their desire for revenge is understandable after many die off due to smallpox-laden blankets given to them. Having no defense against smallpox, settlers gifted the blankets knowing many would die from the disease - much easier than meeting them face to face in warfare. Millions of Natives lost their lives in this way.
Emily is an endearing character, as are her children Isaac, while wanting peace with the Native population, is short-sighted and impulsive in all other areas. Unfortunately, this will be his undoing.
Whidbey Island is the place where Isaac has helped form a settlement, where water is abundant and hunting is good.
Needless to say, the indigenous people, who have resided in the area for millennia, are not happy with people they consider invaders on their land. Clashes are bound to happen.
Isaac frequently leaves his homestead to go on expeditions, leaving his wife and family behind. Emily is a strong woman, unfraid of work, and is determined to prove to Isaac she can keep the homestead not only running - but prospering - while he is gone. She is a huge success, bringing in record profits by making deals to sell wood and other necessities to a growing population of people who take the goods to be sold in other areas of the growing country. She lowers her prices to compete with others doing the same, and gets even more business. However, when Isaac does return, he simply takes over and never really seems to appreciate how hard Emily has worked, nor does he seem to realize her new ideas are what brought increased success.
At the same time, a feared Haida warrior, Anah, and his people, have suffered mightily at the hands of the intruders. With nothing to lose, he is quite unafraid to kill when he finds the opportunity. His reputation precedes him, and all along the water, everyone watches for Anah and his followers, knowing if they attack, death will be the result.
The book is well written, and at times joyful, but also sad quite a bit. The treatment of the Native indigenous people is brutal, and their desire for revenge is understandable after many die off due to smallpox-laden blankets given to them. Having no defense against smallpox, settlers gifted the blankets knowing many would die from the disease - much easier than meeting them face to face in warfare. Millions of Natives lost their lives in this way.
Emily is an endearing character, as are her children Isaac, while wanting peace with the Native population, is short-sighted and impulsive in all other areas. Unfortunately, this will be his undoing.
July 13, 2019
Widow Walk is book one of Gar LaSalle’s HISTORICAL FICTION SAGA. Told in the FIRST PERSON POV, the story takes place in 1867, a time of high tension in the American PACIFIC NORTHWEST between indigenous native Americans and colonists― conflict roused after the PUGET SOUND’S WAR and the TREATY OF MEDICINE CREEK in 1854. The Treaty preserved native American’s ancestral land but appropriated prime native farmland.
Mr. LaSalle’s writing is a superb depiction of historical facts filled with descriptions of land, sea, and air of the new country unfolding around characters. This is a treasure for the history buff, as well as a wonderful story revolving around the EVERS FAMILY.
Emmy, Isaac, and their two children, Sarah and Jacob, have arrived at WHIDBEY ISLAND during dangerous times with threats of aboriginal marauders killing settlers in the area. Emma, a refined Boston-breed woman, is not faint of heart, but a strong, hard-working, and courageous woman who manages the farmstead, and cares for two children during her husband’s absence. Although dismayed by her new surroundings, Emmy remains strong for her children.
During this period, settlers fear for their lives, but most of all, they’re terrified of one Haida Warrior, Anah Nawitka Haloshem (a.k.a. “Black Wind”).
“To know him was to fear him, whoever he was, the one they called “Black Wind.” Few outside of his small clan, however, really could identify him beyond a vague description as that of a tall, well-muscled, heavily tattooed warrior with an aggressive bearing and disturbingly dark presence. No one, neither non-native settlers nor the peaceful peoples along the coast, was safe from his predation. He and his clan seldom left tellers behind."
Anah Nawitka leads marauders on vengeful kills against colonists. A vengeance fueled not only by SETTLER’S LAND ENCROACHMENT, but also because of personal loss―the death of his mother from measles brought over by white men, and the kidnapping of his sister by Boston sailors. Brutal, bloodthirsty, and triumphant, Anah Nawitka never returns to his village without a token.
“By the time the Haida raiding party returned to its small village on the Queen Charlotte Islands… Anah had acquired three more heads and a reputation for mutilation of the dead.”
When Anah Nawitka comes for Isaac Evers, Emmy’s world is devastated. Not only does she lose her husband Isaac to a brutal beheading, but also her six-year-old son Jacob, Kidnapped by Anah. Barely, surviving a miscarriage, and the death of her husband, Emmy summons all her strength and seeks the help of men who know the territory and can help her track and retrieve her son from the merciless Anah Nawitka.
“Emmy had moved as quickly as she could along the low riverbank, avoiding catching herself on exposed tree roots… she heard hollering from downriver, several rounds of rifle shots…Emmy ducked, but the blade sliced through her parka…Pushing herself back, she heard herself scream, “Get away from him!”
Mr. LaSalle’s story is WELL-WRITTEN, SUSPENSEFUL with GREAT CHARACTERS, and a COURAGEOUS FEMALE PROTAGONIST set during the American colonization of the Pacific Northwest. It is also a story of a MOTHER’S LOVE and courage and persistence to find her son in the dangerous wilderness and OUTWIT A FEARED WARRIOR. If you’re a history buff looking for a captivating read, I highly recommend Widow Walk.
Mr. LaSalle’s writing is a superb depiction of historical facts filled with descriptions of land, sea, and air of the new country unfolding around characters. This is a treasure for the history buff, as well as a wonderful story revolving around the EVERS FAMILY.
Emmy, Isaac, and their two children, Sarah and Jacob, have arrived at WHIDBEY ISLAND during dangerous times with threats of aboriginal marauders killing settlers in the area. Emma, a refined Boston-breed woman, is not faint of heart, but a strong, hard-working, and courageous woman who manages the farmstead, and cares for two children during her husband’s absence. Although dismayed by her new surroundings, Emmy remains strong for her children.
During this period, settlers fear for their lives, but most of all, they’re terrified of one Haida Warrior, Anah Nawitka Haloshem (a.k.a. “Black Wind”).
“To know him was to fear him, whoever he was, the one they called “Black Wind.” Few outside of his small clan, however, really could identify him beyond a vague description as that of a tall, well-muscled, heavily tattooed warrior with an aggressive bearing and disturbingly dark presence. No one, neither non-native settlers nor the peaceful peoples along the coast, was safe from his predation. He and his clan seldom left tellers behind."
Anah Nawitka leads marauders on vengeful kills against colonists. A vengeance fueled not only by SETTLER’S LAND ENCROACHMENT, but also because of personal loss―the death of his mother from measles brought over by white men, and the kidnapping of his sister by Boston sailors. Brutal, bloodthirsty, and triumphant, Anah Nawitka never returns to his village without a token.
“By the time the Haida raiding party returned to its small village on the Queen Charlotte Islands… Anah had acquired three more heads and a reputation for mutilation of the dead.”
When Anah Nawitka comes for Isaac Evers, Emmy’s world is devastated. Not only does she lose her husband Isaac to a brutal beheading, but also her six-year-old son Jacob, Kidnapped by Anah. Barely, surviving a miscarriage, and the death of her husband, Emmy summons all her strength and seeks the help of men who know the territory and can help her track and retrieve her son from the merciless Anah Nawitka.
“Emmy had moved as quickly as she could along the low riverbank, avoiding catching herself on exposed tree roots… she heard hollering from downriver, several rounds of rifle shots…Emmy ducked, but the blade sliced through her parka…Pushing herself back, she heard herself scream, “Get away from him!”
Mr. LaSalle’s story is WELL-WRITTEN, SUSPENSEFUL with GREAT CHARACTERS, and a COURAGEOUS FEMALE PROTAGONIST set during the American colonization of the Pacific Northwest. It is also a story of a MOTHER’S LOVE and courage and persistence to find her son in the dangerous wilderness and OUTWIT A FEARED WARRIOR. If you’re a history buff looking for a captivating read, I highly recommend Widow Walk.
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May 2, 2015
A very intriguing work of historical fiction. Lasalle's prose is a bit clunky at times, particularly in the first sixty pages, but the book gathers momentum as it progresses, and by the final pages is an engrossing narrative. Lasalle seeks to portray Washington State's history with all its complexities. His nineteenth-century setting features the British and Americans squaring off for control of the Washington territory, with a few Spanish, Russian, and Portuguese merchants trying to find wealth too. Meanwhile, a handful of free black communities exist along the coast, and the myriad Native American tribes struggle for a foothold in increasingly limited lands not colonized by whites. Lasalle shows the prejudices of all factions – the British and Americans have little use for the native peoples, and many of the native tribes react with fury when white expeditions destroy their villages. Lasalle packs much of the political and social history into the first sixty pages, which are nearly dialogue-free and heavy on psychological exploration. Again, the prose isn't always melodic, but Lasalle establishes a fascinating historical world.
Lasalle also excels at characterization. Isaac Evers takes a patronizing view toward the Native Americans and doesn't understand his wife, Emmy, yet loves her all the same. Emmy Evers is chafing under the limited opportunities available to frontier women and resents Isaac's long absences. The Native warrior Anah is deeply traumatized by the war crimes that other natives and whites commit against his tribe, and his rage turns him into a vicious, preening killer. Conversely, the Native warrior nicknamed Jojo is a deeply moral man, and he and his father try to avoid the colonial bloodbath unfolding around them. Finally, the real-life soldier George Pickett, grieving for his deceased Native American wife and still five years away from his heroic actions at Gettysburg, expresses deep regret at the racial tensions between white settlers and Native Americans. I don't know how realistic Lasalle's portrayal of Pickett is, but the Pickett of this novel is a world-weary man who carries out his military duties to the best of his ability, yet laments that he has to be on the frontline of grueling territorial battles. Pickett is the moral center of the book, imagining a world without racial violence, even as the events in Washington make such a peace impossible.
On a meta level, this book is about greed – the greed of white settlers who stole lands from Native Americans across two continents. Anah is a monstrous villain, yes, but he is not the stereotyped villain of 1930s-era Westerns (although Lasalle twice, in the book's final pages, uses the word "savage," and although he's trying to convey how whites see Anah, the word's appearance is discomfiting). Anah (re)acts the way he does because he has seen the existential threats that outsiders pose to his community. When slavers kidnap his sisters, he is humiliated that he is not strong enough to rescue them; his humiliation leads to violence, and ironically he becomes a kidnapper himself. Similarly, when the British deliberately infect the Native coastal villages with smallpox, and Anah is one of the only survivors, Anah becomes even more resentful of the outside world. His attack on the Evers household and the kidnapping of young Jacob Evers is wrong – something that Jojo readily acknowledges, when he aids the Evers family in rescuing the boy – yet from Anah's perspective he is simply responding in kind to the hand he's been dealt.
The "Widow Walk" that Emmy makes into the north to save her son is likewise a calculated response to hatred. Thanks to Jojo, Emmy warms to (some of) the natives, but she still resents the region that has taken so much from her. The conversation she shares with Pickett at the novel's end, where both acknowledge the gathering clouds of the American Civil War, and both realize that their friendship cannot endure in this rapidly changing landscape, rings with deep truth. Lasalle creates a thrilling adventure story and a family fable against a deeply pessimistic background. No matter what plays out between Jojo, the Evers clan, and Anah, the natives' freedom is rapidly vanishing. The white British and Americans are implacable in their greed for more land. Even localized abolition for blacks cannot stop the destruction of native civilizations.
This book isn't perfect – see my previous acknowledgments of a few questionable word choices and rough prose – but its ambition, fascinating characters, revisionist portrayal of American history, and haunting final ten pages make "Widow Walk" very much worth a read. I will not easily forget this one.
Lasalle also excels at characterization. Isaac Evers takes a patronizing view toward the Native Americans and doesn't understand his wife, Emmy, yet loves her all the same. Emmy Evers is chafing under the limited opportunities available to frontier women and resents Isaac's long absences. The Native warrior Anah is deeply traumatized by the war crimes that other natives and whites commit against his tribe, and his rage turns him into a vicious, preening killer. Conversely, the Native warrior nicknamed Jojo is a deeply moral man, and he and his father try to avoid the colonial bloodbath unfolding around them. Finally, the real-life soldier George Pickett, grieving for his deceased Native American wife and still five years away from his heroic actions at Gettysburg, expresses deep regret at the racial tensions between white settlers and Native Americans. I don't know how realistic Lasalle's portrayal of Pickett is, but the Pickett of this novel is a world-weary man who carries out his military duties to the best of his ability, yet laments that he has to be on the frontline of grueling territorial battles. Pickett is the moral center of the book, imagining a world without racial violence, even as the events in Washington make such a peace impossible.
On a meta level, this book is about greed – the greed of white settlers who stole lands from Native Americans across two continents. Anah is a monstrous villain, yes, but he is not the stereotyped villain of 1930s-era Westerns (although Lasalle twice, in the book's final pages, uses the word "savage," and although he's trying to convey how whites see Anah, the word's appearance is discomfiting). Anah (re)acts the way he does because he has seen the existential threats that outsiders pose to his community. When slavers kidnap his sisters, he is humiliated that he is not strong enough to rescue them; his humiliation leads to violence, and ironically he becomes a kidnapper himself. Similarly, when the British deliberately infect the Native coastal villages with smallpox, and Anah is one of the only survivors, Anah becomes even more resentful of the outside world. His attack on the Evers household and the kidnapping of young Jacob Evers is wrong – something that Jojo readily acknowledges, when he aids the Evers family in rescuing the boy – yet from Anah's perspective he is simply responding in kind to the hand he's been dealt.
The "Widow Walk" that Emmy makes into the north to save her son is likewise a calculated response to hatred. Thanks to Jojo, Emmy warms to (some of) the natives, but she still resents the region that has taken so much from her. The conversation she shares with Pickett at the novel's end, where both acknowledge the gathering clouds of the American Civil War, and both realize that their friendship cannot endure in this rapidly changing landscape, rings with deep truth. Lasalle creates a thrilling adventure story and a family fable against a deeply pessimistic background. No matter what plays out between Jojo, the Evers clan, and Anah, the natives' freedom is rapidly vanishing. The white British and Americans are implacable in their greed for more land. Even localized abolition for blacks cannot stop the destruction of native civilizations.
This book isn't perfect – see my previous acknowledgments of a few questionable word choices and rough prose – but its ambition, fascinating characters, revisionist portrayal of American history, and haunting final ten pages make "Widow Walk" very much worth a read. I will not easily forget this one.
January 10, 2020
History! Oh No!
I thought I’d be reading about a pioneering woman and her children making a go of living in the late 1800’s. The beginning of the book started out that way but didn’t last long at all. I began to get very bored as the book turned into a history lesson with the main characters in the beginning completely forgotten about. Sorry, just wasn’t what I expected and didn’t hold my interest.
I thought I’d be reading about a pioneering woman and her children making a go of living in the late 1800’s. The beginning of the book started out that way but didn’t last long at all. I began to get very bored as the book turned into a history lesson with the main characters in the beginning completely forgotten about. Sorry, just wasn’t what I expected and didn’t hold my interest.
November 21, 2018
Sorry I didn't finish........
I'm sorry to say after reading all the reviews I couldn't get involved with the people in the book. It read to me like a very dry
Recount of a historical event. Maybe it was me but frankly my dear I just didn't give a hoot in the end.........
I'm sorry to say after reading all the reviews I couldn't get involved with the people in the book. It read to me like a very dry
Recount of a historical event. Maybe it was me but frankly my dear I just didn't give a hoot in the end.........
June 19, 2013
**** Rating 4.5
Review
Although I’m a Scot, I have always been interested in novels and articles of the Native American peoples so when given the opportunity to read Widow Walk, I jumped at the chance. “Widow Walk is historical fiction depicting real and fictional characters and events”. It kept me entranced from the first to the last page.
The main character is Emmy Evers, a strong willed and determined woman. A widow, with a young daughter, met and married Isaac Evers and moved to Whidbey Island; where Isaac had established a small settlement. Emmy, now also the mother of a 5 year old son, Jacob, is the backbone of the couple, guiding Isaac down the right path, when he has repeatedly blundered into making incorrect decisions. When he’s called up to perform his duties as a Volunteer, she rises to the challenge and takes over the homestead and family business; making it into a bigger more profitable enterprise.
As other characters are introduced, you are led along a historical journey involving the Native Americans, United States Army, British Forces, Trackers, Guides and many more. Gerard LaSalle, a highly educated man of many talents, uses his knowledge of historical events to paint a rounded story of the challenges faced by many, the amorally wrongdoing by a number of factions and atrocities committed by all sides. His descriptions of the land, huge and natural but with terrible winters bringing hardships are astounding.
I love the portrayal of 10 year old Sarah, Emmy’s first born. She is her Mother’s daughter but with more developed senses; “an old head on young shoulders”. She sees beyond the presented facets of other people’s personalities. Jacob is a young child who finds himself in a situation no human should but shows the inherited courage of both Emmy and Isaac. In contrast, I would never like to meet characters such as Rene Marte and Cull, conniving murderers who have no thought for human lives.
As Emmy searches for her son, she is helped by Jojo, a tracker from the Tyee Nuxalk Bella Coola Valley Clan; as a favor from Captain George Pickett. The hunt is fast paced with the sense of discovery always on the horizon.
Widow Walk is a fantastic, entertaining read for those who enjoy reading a novel which draws in a number of factions and characters and brings them into the main plot.
LaSalle’s ability to describe characters like Anah, a vicious, powerful native of the Haida but who as a child experienced terrifying and horrific events makes this a novel which will leave the reader deep in thought long after the last page is turned. The ending did not finish where I thought it was going to end, probably because I’m a born romantic, but this in no way detracted from my pleasure in reading the book. In fact, I have since been delighted to find out there is a sequel in the works, Isthmus.
I was given a copy of Widow Walk by NetGalley, thank you.
Review
Although I’m a Scot, I have always been interested in novels and articles of the Native American peoples so when given the opportunity to read Widow Walk, I jumped at the chance. “Widow Walk is historical fiction depicting real and fictional characters and events”. It kept me entranced from the first to the last page.
The main character is Emmy Evers, a strong willed and determined woman. A widow, with a young daughter, met and married Isaac Evers and moved to Whidbey Island; where Isaac had established a small settlement. Emmy, now also the mother of a 5 year old son, Jacob, is the backbone of the couple, guiding Isaac down the right path, when he has repeatedly blundered into making incorrect decisions. When he’s called up to perform his duties as a Volunteer, she rises to the challenge and takes over the homestead and family business; making it into a bigger more profitable enterprise.
As other characters are introduced, you are led along a historical journey involving the Native Americans, United States Army, British Forces, Trackers, Guides and many more. Gerard LaSalle, a highly educated man of many talents, uses his knowledge of historical events to paint a rounded story of the challenges faced by many, the amorally wrongdoing by a number of factions and atrocities committed by all sides. His descriptions of the land, huge and natural but with terrible winters bringing hardships are astounding.
I love the portrayal of 10 year old Sarah, Emmy’s first born. She is her Mother’s daughter but with more developed senses; “an old head on young shoulders”. She sees beyond the presented facets of other people’s personalities. Jacob is a young child who finds himself in a situation no human should but shows the inherited courage of both Emmy and Isaac. In contrast, I would never like to meet characters such as Rene Marte and Cull, conniving murderers who have no thought for human lives.
As Emmy searches for her son, she is helped by Jojo, a tracker from the Tyee Nuxalk Bella Coola Valley Clan; as a favor from Captain George Pickett. The hunt is fast paced with the sense of discovery always on the horizon.
Widow Walk is a fantastic, entertaining read for those who enjoy reading a novel which draws in a number of factions and characters and brings them into the main plot.
LaSalle’s ability to describe characters like Anah, a vicious, powerful native of the Haida but who as a child experienced terrifying and horrific events makes this a novel which will leave the reader deep in thought long after the last page is turned. The ending did not finish where I thought it was going to end, probably because I’m a born romantic, but this in no way detracted from my pleasure in reading the book. In fact, I have since been delighted to find out there is a sequel in the works, Isthmus.
I was given a copy of Widow Walk by NetGalley, thank you.
December 22, 2014
A quick read full with historical detail, the novel "Widow Walk" keeps one engaged with a survival story of both the fittest and weakest. White settlers have arrived in the Pacific Northwest and Native American tribes are fiercely guarding their land, water and people. Gripping me was the haunting and detailed "voice" in practically every sentence; here's an example:
"When they saw each other at that moment, eyes locked in the pale moonlight, each man knew the world had stopped around them to watch a death dance. Anah knew in that instant, because of an aura of vibrant life surrounding this opponent and his homestead, that he was now closer to Death than he had ever been before. It would come rushing forward eagerly, he knew, and take one or both of them."
Chapters in this historical novel, set in the 19th century, have been concisely written in the voices of several major and intertwined characters. Emmy Evers is the strong-willed wife of Isaac and mother of Jacob and Sarah. While Isaac is on expeditions, Emmy learns to successfully run the farm and land on Whidbey Island. Both Jacob and Sarah are strong like their mother. Anah follows in his father's role and becomes the "tyee" of the Haida tribe and is often seen as a cutthroat leader out for revenge. Captain George Edward Pickett commands the U.S. Army from locations like Bellingham.
Author Gerard Lasalle has done his research well to give both vitality and savagery to "Widow Walk". Much of the book is set along the rocky and moss-covered shores of Vancouver Island and the San Juan Islands, the farms of the first white settlers of Whidbey Island, the settlement of Port Townsend, and in the Native American encampments. There are some brutal killings by both whites and Native Americans as they protect land, water, family and oneself. Both love and dreams haunt and keep alive several of the characters.
"Widow Walk" is a welcome addition to the small and growing amount of historical fiction set in the Pacific Northwest. I've read there is a sequel, Isthmus, coming soon and I'm eager to see Lasalle continue the story. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
"When they saw each other at that moment, eyes locked in the pale moonlight, each man knew the world had stopped around them to watch a death dance. Anah knew in that instant, because of an aura of vibrant life surrounding this opponent and his homestead, that he was now closer to Death than he had ever been before. It would come rushing forward eagerly, he knew, and take one or both of them."
Chapters in this historical novel, set in the 19th century, have been concisely written in the voices of several major and intertwined characters. Emmy Evers is the strong-willed wife of Isaac and mother of Jacob and Sarah. While Isaac is on expeditions, Emmy learns to successfully run the farm and land on Whidbey Island. Both Jacob and Sarah are strong like their mother. Anah follows in his father's role and becomes the "tyee" of the Haida tribe and is often seen as a cutthroat leader out for revenge. Captain George Edward Pickett commands the U.S. Army from locations like Bellingham.
Author Gerard Lasalle has done his research well to give both vitality and savagery to "Widow Walk". Much of the book is set along the rocky and moss-covered shores of Vancouver Island and the San Juan Islands, the farms of the first white settlers of Whidbey Island, the settlement of Port Townsend, and in the Native American encampments. There are some brutal killings by both whites and Native Americans as they protect land, water, family and oneself. Both love and dreams haunt and keep alive several of the characters.
"Widow Walk" is a welcome addition to the small and growing amount of historical fiction set in the Pacific Northwest. I've read there is a sequel, Isthmus, coming soon and I'm eager to see Lasalle continue the story. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 31, 2015
I was given the opportunity to be a preview reader for Gerard Lasalle's sequel to Widow Walk, so I decided it would be a good idea to read the first book before diving into the second. I am developing an interest in the Pacific Northwest, where Widow Walk takes place, so without really knowing where to begin, this series seemed as likely a candidate as any to introduce me to the area I plan to call home sometime soon.
I don't have any real interest in Native American history, but Widow Walk illustrates the interactions between the settlers and the natives very well, and kept me engaged. I did have a bit of trouble with keeping track of the Native American tribe names and peoples names, which I suspect had to do with the difficulty I had in pronouncing them. This was the one thing that kept me from fully enjoying the book, as I kept trying to remember who was who.
The book tells the story of the settlers trying to make a go of things in Washington state, the military charged with protecting the area, and the natives who were naturally resentful of the interlopers and the encroachments on what had previously been their land. The story was well-told, and at times had me reading rather quickly in alarm to see what was going to happen.
For a first novel, I think Mr. LaSalle has done an excellent job, and I look forward to reading the sequel, Isthmus.
I don't have any real interest in Native American history, but Widow Walk illustrates the interactions between the settlers and the natives very well, and kept me engaged. I did have a bit of trouble with keeping track of the Native American tribe names and peoples names, which I suspect had to do with the difficulty I had in pronouncing them. This was the one thing that kept me from fully enjoying the book, as I kept trying to remember who was who.
The book tells the story of the settlers trying to make a go of things in Washington state, the military charged with protecting the area, and the natives who were naturally resentful of the interlopers and the encroachments on what had previously been their land. The story was well-told, and at times had me reading rather quickly in alarm to see what was going to happen.
For a first novel, I think Mr. LaSalle has done an excellent job, and I look forward to reading the sequel, Isthmus.
October 24, 2014
Widow Walk, by Gerard LaSalle, brings life to Washington State History. The novel is written with lush and vivid scenery of the area just as it was being populated by Americans and Europeans. Author, Gerard LaSalle, writes about the harsh realities of the time and place; the clash of the different cultures as the American and Europeans obtrude on the different Indian tribes who were already living there.
The characters are hard-working, strong, and enduring; some are corrupt, false, and vicious, all are interesting. The storyline is a common love story and fighting for survival. Emmy Evers, and her daughter, Sarah, emerge as two very strong female characters. Emmy fights to get her young son back, after he is taken by a vicious tribe of Indians, and Sarah fights right along with her.
I found Widow Walk to be a captivating and interesting read. The novel drew me in at the very beginning and kept me spell-bound until the end. I highly recommend this novel to anyone interested in history, strong characters, and adventure at every turn of the page.
I received a PDF copy of this book from Story Cartel in exchange for an honest opinion.
http://mauldinfamily1.wordpress.com/2...
The characters are hard-working, strong, and enduring; some are corrupt, false, and vicious, all are interesting. The storyline is a common love story and fighting for survival. Emmy Evers, and her daughter, Sarah, emerge as two very strong female characters. Emmy fights to get her young son back, after he is taken by a vicious tribe of Indians, and Sarah fights right along with her.
I found Widow Walk to be a captivating and interesting read. The novel drew me in at the very beginning and kept me spell-bound until the end. I highly recommend this novel to anyone interested in history, strong characters, and adventure at every turn of the page.
I received a PDF copy of this book from Story Cartel in exchange for an honest opinion.
http://mauldinfamily1.wordpress.com/2...
January 8, 2015
LaSalle’s “Window Walk” is a compelling story of love, honor, fear, pain and strength. The characters we read about in this book are awesomely portrayed in the author’s rendition. The setting is in the rugged Pacific Northwest wilderness, the plot is deepened with realistic depiction of the historical events, and people of that era. It holds mention to the pioneers and settlers and of the Indian tribes and their lives, but it mostly follows one family and their plight. It was so interesting to read about Captain George Pickett, a real live person and his story. But, Emma was my favorite, a woman of strength and endurance, her plight to save her child is highly admirable and took courage beyond excellence.
This book kept me riveted to the characters so deftly portrayed by this writer, and I completely swept up in the totality of this poignant story. I look forward to reading more of the books written by LaSalle. I think the author has such a way with words and expressing simple thoughts and ideas, and can make the most mundane circumstances sound charming and poetic. This story has all of the things that I love so much about a good historical novel. I was given this book for my honest review, and honestly I thought that it was a great read.
Thank you for sharing your work.
This book kept me riveted to the characters so deftly portrayed by this writer, and I completely swept up in the totality of this poignant story. I look forward to reading more of the books written by LaSalle. I think the author has such a way with words and expressing simple thoughts and ideas, and can make the most mundane circumstances sound charming and poetic. This story has all of the things that I love so much about a good historical novel. I was given this book for my honest review, and honestly I thought that it was a great read.
Thank you for sharing your work.
August 11, 2016
The Pacific NW is an area mostly overlooked for historical fiction (save for Ivan Doig). However, Gerald Lasalle makes good use of Whidbey Island, San Juan Island, Bellingham, Port Townsend, Victoria and British Columbia as settings to weave together a fast moving tale that involves a couple of real historical figures, a psychotic Haida raider, a kidnapped five year old, a brave frontier woman and her equally brave young daughter, a clever NW Indian guide, various nefarious characters, a one-eyed grizzly bear and even George Pickett, soon to become famous at the Battle of Gettysburg. This was a page turner. Quite believable. Great atmospherics. A fun read that would translate into a film with little effort. There were too many dreams (I have a rule of always skipping dreams in fiction) and the book ended somewhat abruptly. However, I will take a look at the sequel when it comes since the physical settings are places I'm most familiar with.
August 3, 2015
I was provided with a free copy of this book in return for my honest review. Widow Walk tells the tale of a family of settlers in the Northwest during the time when Northern Indian tribes routinely sent raiding parties south. Being Australian, I am not familiar with this historical period but I am aware that the author was meticulous in his seamless blending of fictional and factual characters and events to create this story. The story and characters are so well written it prompted some research of my own.
The heroin, Emmy is strong, intelligent and a bit of a rebel in a time where women were suppressed and oppressed. When her husband is killed and her son taken prisoner by Indians she sets of to broker a deal to buy him back. Needless to say that things don’t always go as planned, but Emmy is a resourceful woman in a period of history that was often violent and harsh. Great read.
The heroin, Emmy is strong, intelligent and a bit of a rebel in a time where women were suppressed and oppressed. When her husband is killed and her son taken prisoner by Indians she sets of to broker a deal to buy him back. Needless to say that things don’t always go as planned, but Emmy is a resourceful woman in a period of history that was often violent and harsh. Great read.
November 6, 2014
A Captivating Story
Widow Walk is a captivating story about life in the Pacific Northwest and how both Native American Indians and white settlers had to struggle to survive. Gerald LaSalle blends both real and fictional characters into a beautifully written and descriptive novel about the disputes and battles between Indians and settlers as well as the conflicts among the Indian tribes and between the Americans and British. Each chapter is told from the point of view of one or two characters. This gives the reader insight into how each individual had to fight for themselves while realizing that their actions affects the lives of both those they love and members of their community.
I highly recommend Widow Walk by Gerald LaSalle if you are looking for a good story or like historical fiction.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
Widow Walk is a captivating story about life in the Pacific Northwest and how both Native American Indians and white settlers had to struggle to survive. Gerald LaSalle blends both real and fictional characters into a beautifully written and descriptive novel about the disputes and battles between Indians and settlers as well as the conflicts among the Indian tribes and between the Americans and British. Each chapter is told from the point of view of one or two characters. This gives the reader insight into how each individual had to fight for themselves while realizing that their actions affects the lives of both those they love and members of their community.
I highly recommend Widow Walk by Gerald LaSalle if you are looking for a good story or like historical fiction.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
July 15, 2013
A well written book by someone who knows the NW. I have read a couple of books recently that talk about landmarks and cities that don't exist and I find that very frustrating. The author did his homework, furthering his personal knowledge of the area. It was written so well that it challenged my memory of the factual history so I could differentiate the real from the fiction. The story makes the clear the hostility between the Native Americans and the whites who came to settled. I also appreciated the strength of the woman in the story. I can't imagine what it must have been like. I very much enjoyed the book.
January 25, 2015
I loved this book! As someone who enjoys reading both fiction and non-fiction this book has it all --- beautifully written with fascinating, colorful characters and a brilliant depiction of early northwest history.
August 7, 2019
Not quite the type of book I usually read, but it is by a local author, about the local area, so I wanted to try it. This is a different kind of historical novel; parts of it are almost straight history narrative, as the scene is set: Puget Sound in the late 1870s. Although always told in the second person, different sections are narrated by various characters. Each change of narrator is easily tracked, and the large cast of characters is well-drawn. I can't help but wonder just how true to life some of the actual historic personages might be. It was interesting enough that I will be reading the sequel.
September 7, 2019
I was drawn into this book because the author writes so well; however, as the story progressed it went too far into the swampy morass of improbability and then, as though the author realized this, ended rather abruptly. But, I learned some history of the Pacific NW in the 1850s. I loved the descriptions of the natural world. And the characters were well developed and compelling.
I liked it enough to read the second Widow Walk book.
I liked it enough to read the second Widow Walk book.
August 9, 2019
Compelling story of Pacific NW in the 1850s
Having visited this area (San Juan Islands, Vancouver, Bellingham) many times over the past 22 years, I found the history of Isaac & Emma Evers (Ebey), the native tribes, and the settlement of the area, though fictionalized, is well told by LaSalle and compelled me to keep reading. I highly recommend it!
Having visited this area (San Juan Islands, Vancouver, Bellingham) many times over the past 22 years, I found the history of Isaac & Emma Evers (Ebey), the native tribes, and the settlement of the area, though fictionalized, is well told by LaSalle and compelled me to keep reading. I highly recommend it!
September 25, 2022
I enjoyed the story, but have questions about the interactions between the Native groups. I plan to do more research on the time period and the political relationships between the governments. The story kept me interested and engaged. Gar Lasalle fully captures the environment and how the weather effects everything in the Pacific Northwest.
December 31, 2023
Not my favorite slice of historical fiction but it was an interesting and fairly easy read set in our next living location, which is why a friend gave me to read. A few of the descriptions of the killings/skinnings/revenge practices were a little overly grotesque but they are probably historically accurate.
May 8, 2025
historical fiction Ebey’s Landing
When I started reading this account of a Pacific Northwest pioneer family I did not realize that I have been to the location of their homestead which is now a National park. I find knowing the stories of these hardy pioneer women make me proud and encouraged to face what the world throws at us with strength, knowledge and perseverance.
When I started reading this account of a Pacific Northwest pioneer family I did not realize that I have been to the location of their homestead which is now a National park. I find knowing the stories of these hardy pioneer women make me proud and encouraged to face what the world throws at us with strength, knowledge and perseverance.
May 17, 2025
I came across this book while browsing in the library. It caught my attention because it is set on Whidbey Island. My husband and I visited Whidbey several years ago and very much enjoyed it.
I found the book interesting, although there are some brutal passages. I am interested in reading the second book in the series.
I found the book interesting, although there are some brutal passages. I am interested in reading the second book in the series.
February 21, 2018
Worth the Read
Good historical fiction that will hold your interest. Emmy is the embodiment of the strength displayed by women during the most extreme of challenges. While this wasnt a book that I couldnt put down, I did look forward to reading a couple of chapters each night.
Good historical fiction that will hold your interest. Emmy is the embodiment of the strength displayed by women during the most extreme of challenges. While this wasnt a book that I couldnt put down, I did look forward to reading a couple of chapters each night.
February 23, 2018
Excellent!
Not the genre that I usually read but I was pulled in from the 3rd chapter. Characters were accurately depicted, the good and the bad.
Some of the Indian names were hard for me to follow but the guide in the beginning of the book was handy.
Great historical book!
Not the genre that I usually read but I was pulled in from the 3rd chapter. Characters were accurately depicted, the good and the bad.
Some of the Indian names were hard for me to follow but the guide in the beginning of the book was handy.
Great historical book!
February 10, 2019
Really enjoyed this book
Although, the brutality of historical fiction books caused me to steer clear of them for a long time, something about this book drew me in and I was hooked.
Although, the brutality of historical fiction books caused me to steer clear of them for a long time, something about this book drew me in and I was hooked.
April 4, 2019
I was expecting a softer version of pioneer life but found a very violent and probably realistic view of settling the Northwest part of the US. Very much a factual account based on diaries of the heroine and the hero Calvary Colonel. I recommend it for history buffs!
December 25, 2019
I got a sample of this book first and found that very interesting. Characters were people I'd never hear of before except for George Pickett of Gettysburg fame. Although I found the book very interesting and engaging, I had a hard time with the "romance" between Emmy Evers and George Pickett. I've seen pictures of him and he was a pretty vain guy but then to each his own. She'd never settle on him, too strong of a woman. Thumbs up on the story line.
July 27, 2020
Widow Walk was a beautiful surprise
Historical fiction has become my most cherished reading. I loved the poetic style of the characters’ situations and inner thoughts, though it was over far too quickly. I’ll be looking for the next books ASAP.
Historical fiction has become my most cherished reading. I loved the poetic style of the characters’ situations and inner thoughts, though it was over far too quickly. I’ll be looking for the next books ASAP.
March 1, 2018
A good story about a strong woman who finds courage in an hostile world. An historical novel that seems to have an authentic feel.
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