The Executions

Choctaw Tribune #1

by Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer

An alternative cover edition for this ASIN can be found here.

From an award-winning author and Choctaw storyteller comes a riveting tale set in turn-of-the-century Indian Territory.

Who would show up for their own execution?

1892, Indian Territory. A war brews in the Choctaw Nation as two political parties grapple between old tradition and evolving issues—with eighteen-year-old Choctaw Ruth Ann Teller caught in the middle.

In a small but booming pre-statehood town, Ruth Ann’s mixed blood family owns a controversial newspaper, the Choctaw Tribune, infamous for its dedication to unbiased truth. Ruth Ann wants to help spread the word about critical issues, but there is danger for a female reporter on all fronts—socially, politically, even physically.

But is the truth worth dying for? When this quest leads Ruth Ann and her brother Matthew, the stubborn editor of the fledgling Choctaw Tribune, to the farm of a condemned murderer, it also brings them to head on clashes with leading townsmen who want their reports about what really happened silenced no matter what.
With the execution fast approaching, truth itself is on the line. When the dust has settled, who will survive to know the truth? And can the truth itself survive when all else is lost?

The Executions is a story of friendship, faith, and family in a gritty western setting with characters that fight for truth against all odds.

“Among the many pleasures of Sarah Elisabeth’s writing are her attention to character, language, and period detail. In The Executions, a story grounded in history and the complexities of pre-statehood Oklahoma, she brings to life, with great heart, the compelling mix of cultures, faith, and political intrigue in the old Choctaw Nation. An intriguing read.”—Rilla Askew, author of The Mercy Seat

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About the Choctaw Tribune Historical Fiction series:

These books let you explore the old Choctaw Nation with Matthew and Ruth Ann Teller, a Choctaw brother and sister pair who own a newspaper, the Choctaw Tribune. They're in the midst of shootouts and tribal upheavals with the coming Dawes Commission in the 1890s. The changes in Indian Territory threaten everything they've known and force them to decide if they are going to take a stand for truth, even in the face of death.
A historical fiction series with a Western flair, the Choctaw Tribune explores racial, political, spiritual, and social issues in the old Choctaw Nation—and beyond.

Books in the series:
The Executions (Book 1)
Traitors (Book 2)
Shaft of Truth (Book 3)
Sovereign Justice (Book 4)
Fire and Ink (Book 5) (Coming August 2023)
Choctaw Tribune Boxset (Books 1 -3)

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Fiction, Ebooks, Christian, Mystery, Amazon

318 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 24, 2015

About the author

SARAH ELISABETH SAWYER is a story archaeologist. She digs up shards of past lives, hopes, and truths, and pieces them together for readers today. The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian honored her as a literary artist through their Artist Leadership Program for her work in preserving Choctaw Trail of Tears stories. She is the creator of the Fiction Writing: American Indians digital course.

A tribal member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, she writes historical fiction from her hometown in Texas, partnering with her mother, Lynda Kay Sawyer, in continued research for future works. Learn more at SarahElisabethWrites.com, ChoctawSpirit.com, and Facebook.com/SarahElisabethSawyer.

Reviews

[Beverly Laude · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully written book with a lot of relevance to our world today. This story of life in the Indian Territory in the late 1800's is very thought-provoking and inspiring. It is the story of a family of Choctaw mixed-bloods who are trying to bring the truth to their community through a newspaper.

There is an execution done according to the Old Laws of the Choctaw Nation, a lynching, and loads of prejudice against Indians, Jews, Blacks and women. It is also a coming of age story as Ruth Ann Teller finds herself involved in incidents that show her just how horribly biased the human being really is.

There are many lessons to be learned from this book and Ms. Sawyer does an excellent job in conveying her message. And remember, God knows. That is a great tenet to live by, even today!

[Patricia McAlexander · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was free on Kindle and I did read it through to the end, hoping for unity and resolution. The individual episodes of the handsome half-Choctaw brother and his beautiful sister striving to make their Choctaw Times newspaper a success were interesting, but I was disappointed in not finding more of a narrative arc to tie them all together. I thought a possible plot might involve some romance, but, although there were hints of it, every hint fizzled out. There’s a beautiful Jewish girl who is very close to the sister but the brother barely seems to note her existence. He is momentarily attracted to a mail-order bride but she goes off with her husband-to-be and writes back that she is happy. And Ruth Ann, the sister, is interested in another telegraph operator until she meets him and discovers he’s older and married. So there seem to be little temporary hints at romance, but violence and the newspaper take priority. There are also statements about faith in God and the idea all races are equal, but they could be more fully dramatized. I was a little taken aback at the changes in point of view—the novel switches sometimes to the POV of even minor characters. Perhaps a resolution is reached in the later books in the series, but this book just ends with the last episode.

[Bonnye Reed]

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[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Executions by Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer is a marvellous Christian historical novel and the first book in the Choctaw Tribune series.
I was completely engrossed from the start as I travelled back to 1892 and Indian Territory. The novel surrounds the Choctaw people. They are a peaceful people with the two main characters being in charge of the local paper. “We need people to stand up and speak truth.” They will not sugar coat the news, they tell the facts and reveal the injustices. This makes them unpopular with the local white people.
The reader witnesses the horrors of the times – the lynching’s, the racial prejudices, belief that the white man is supreme. It is a time of ignorance and poor choices for some. “Things didn’t just happen. They resulted from a chain of choices that eventually… shackled a man.” We will always have the choice to do the right thing.
The leading lady is a forward thinking, brave young woman. She is ahead of her time going to places of horror to reveal the truth. She faces opposition from white males who believe a woman’s place is in the home. Our heroine believes “a woman’s place is anywhere God puts her.”
I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know my new ‘friends’. It is on to book two to continue the tale now.
I will leave you with this powerful quote:
“Jesus. He wasn’t just friendly, kind and good. He went to places others wouldn’t.”
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

[Joe Maggs · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable read. This book tended towards having multiple storylines that don’t really overlap that much but instead play out linearly and resolve themselves in only a matter of pages. Frankly I think that harmed the book more than helped it, as it made it difficult to track and to get properly engaged at any one point. I think it would have been more advisable to play out the stories a bit longer or to interweave them more. I know that Sawyer has written plenty of short stories with the same characters/setting so maybe that’s why?

Nevertheless there are plenty of positives that make this a perfectly reasonable read. The setting is fantastic and brilliantly described, and the characters are a delight. The adventures undertaken are entertaining and intriguing, and the plot itself is something a little different to what is typically out there, which I really liked.

[May · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a quick read. The story rich in details of time and place! The characters are developing. The town is growing. The undercurrents are worsening.

Looking forward to reading Book 2!

[Cath · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book one of the Choctaw Tribune series and takes place in the early 1890’s, in Indian Territory. The main characters are Ruth Ann Teller and her older brother Matthew Teller, who live with their mother Della in the small pre-statehood town of Dickens. Matthew runs a small newspaper called the Choctaw Tribune, set up against the larger town paper owned by the white self-appointed Mayor of the town, called Thaddeus Warren. Matthew publishes their paper in both English and Choctaw and always tries to ensure his paper gives both sides of the story and is unbiased. Ruth Ann helps to set the type for the press and also does small community stories to put on the back pages.

At this time, there is a lot of political unrest, between the Nationals and Progressives amongst the Indian Nation, mixed blood against full blood. The coming of new ways going against old traditions, leaves a lot of the tribes people split on what should be followed going forwards. The election of a new Chief recently, did not help and matters have started to escalate. One man, Silas, who was with a Progressive gang, was caught having killed another. According to Choctaw law, he was found guilty and given a death sentence, but was allowed to live at home until the sentence was carried out and to see his son who was to graduate in a week. It would then be up to the guilty man to come to the town for justice to be carried out!

Hence the execution of the title, with a man coming to his own death, rather than being dragged there in chains or cuffs. Much is made of whether Silas will turn up for his own execution or not, will he obey Choctaw traditions or try to escape justice? Matthew and Ruth Ann go out to his home to interview him, the only person that can tell the truth behind his own actions, so they can get a balanced story to tell in their paper. More killings and threats occur over the next weeks as political unrest continues and certain townspeople take advantage of their status and make threats against the paper publishing certain stories, they didn’t want to have it show a bad side to their town and drive away more people, especially whites.

Whites could only own businesses or land in the Indian Nation, if they were or had been married to a Choctaw individual. Some have found ways to get against this, but there are two sets of law around, the white man’s law and then the local Indian law. Certain crimes can only be investigated by the one who is involved or has been victimized. Making lots of issues more difficult to sort out. Mayor Warren owns a lot of property in the town, including the small shop Matthew uses to produce the paper. He also makes a thuggish man the town sheriff, something no-one with a right mind would do and only because he is one of the mayor’s lackeys. There is also whiskey being sold in the town illegally, which most Indians cannot handle and ends up causing a lot of problems with mostly drunken gangs.

One such gang led by a Captain, attack the home of Mr Barnes, whilst Matthew and Ruth Ann are there visiting. Hundreds of guns are fired at the mansion and someone is injured inside the home, until the gang of mostly drunken Indians leaves. Another example of the political issues of the time and actions being taken violently rather than through traditional methods. Whether the Choctaw Tribune can keep on publishing against all the people they are getting on the wrong side of, by simply not taking one side or another, also leaves them as targets from both. An interesting view of those times and the prejudice that came from all sides.

A time in history, when many poor whites are uneducated and there are no schools for them nearby. Other whites are richer and use their power to take what they want and work around the rules and laws of the Indian Nation. The Choctaw were forced out of their ancestral homeland and given this area as their new home, but whites are moving in and want to take over. A shocking true view of what happened in these small towns, before statehood came into place. I loved the faith of the Teller family and how it is used to overcome many of the difficulties they face, day to day. Ruth Ann faces a lot of prejudice and hatred, being a young, mixed-blood native, trying to work in a man’s world and having others putting her down and threatening her for this. An interesting read and shows that some of the problems faced then, have only gotten worse in our supposedly modern world. A great read and one I would recommend for those who like a bit of true to life history and some great characters. I received an ARC copy of this book from the author and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.

[Texas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Choctaw Tribune Series:
The Executions #1 - Set in Dickens, Indian Territory, in September, 1892, this historical novel follows the lives of a Choctaw family, their friends and the happenings in and around their territory as far away as Paris, Texas. The interesting storytelling brings together the struggles of a Choctaw family and their community blended with the history of that time. The fight for and against statehood; the treatment of ethnic groups and sexes; and the fight for truth, honor and doing right, make a tightly woven story difficult to stop reading.

The characters run the gamut and fit all the mindsets, common and disruptive for that period and place. The events range from good to extreme barbarism. In the midst of all the turmoil, strife and just surviving, a young Choctaw woman faces maturity as she struggles to save the family business, overcome her fears and deal with the atrocities she sees and experiences while learning to be a newspaper reporter. 4*

Traitor #2 - This story picks up around August, 1893, in Dickens, Indian Territory and follows the storylines set in Executions. More storylines and characters are added and there is a lot of happenings, discoveries and even redemption. While history plays a big part, the Teller family is strong and survive much. While most readers will know the basics of what the Native Americans faced from the white man, their everyday life after placement on reservations is not commonly known. Executions is a good story but Traitor is meatier and more substantial in contents. 5*

Danger on the Red River - This short story takes place on Christmas Eve in 1893, about a month after Traitor ends. More family members of the Grandmother are introduced and there are two men close to death in the Red River. 4*
Choctaw Tribune Series end.

Anumpa Warrior: Choctaw Code Talkers of World War I - This is the first book I read by this author and I like it. While the code talkers of WWI were new to me, the rest of the history of that part of France was correct. I had read a lot about the Choctaw people, and other Native Americans, as a child, teen and adult but never came across anything about their military service as code talkers.

I married a Choctaw but he did not know about the Trail of Tears. His family never talked about their heritage, their customs or spoke their language, although he, his father and his grandfather went to the yearly meet in OK until the mid-Sixties.

Anumpa Warrior is a must read whether from a historical point of view or as a novel. The lives of these Americans and what they still faced in the early 1900s is interesting, intriguing and heartwrenching. To experience their lives from childhood through WWI is educational to those who do not know American or Native American history. The writing style does not harp on about the injustices but presents the historical events in an easy to understand storytelling style. No whiners in this story.

The story is well thought out and carries the reader along through history at a steady pace. It is difficult to put this book down. The characters are real. Their dialogues are real. Their emotions are real. The horrors from many different sources are experienced by the reader as if there in time.

I cannot say enough about how well done, how accurate and how much this is an important read. It is easy to turn this into a book report but it would be so unfair to the interested readers. Step back in time and read about how many overcame the times they lived in and became the people for all Americans to be proud to have as fellow Americans. These people helped make our country great even after the horrors their Nations endured from the arrival of the Europeans to the Americas. I found this book on Booksprout. 5*

[Nadine Keels]

I decided to try this book specifically because it's historical ChristFic about the Choctaw Nation, written by a member of the Choctaw Nation. I was particularly intrigued to see the governmental and cultural tension. And even though they weren't new details for me, I found certain historical aspects, even brief ones, to be gut-wrenching.

Imagine a foreign people coming to your land and coercing you to sign an "X" to a treaty written in a language you can't read. Imagine that after seeing your people driven from their home, seeing them sick and dying along the way, the foreign people who drove you out then fail to hold up their end of promises they made.

Anyway. Historical fiction like this is so important.

However, while I held on for more than half the novel, the pacing was slow for me. My interest would wane as I'd wait for the story to get from Point A to B. Also, I didn't sense enough cohesion between all the different scenes, almost as if the plot were drifting through the story instead of driving it. Because the events weren't coming together enough to grip my attention, I decided not to continue.

Nonetheless, I was compelled by Ruth Ann and Matthew's passion for the press, their belief in the power of words, and their determination to bring their perspectives and to write the truth. Even in the face of threats and deception.

The world remains so in need of people with the courage to cut through the lies and to tell the truth.

[Mollie Reeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Top three things I love about "The Executions":

1) Smart, spunky female protagonist finding her own voice
2) Strong, powerful platonic relationships: mother/daughter, brother/sister, and friends
3) Gritty western setting and characters that stand up for what's right against all odds

Set in turn-of-the-century Indian Territory, The Executions follows a biracial family trying to run a small newspaper. Ruth Ann, who is striving to be a female reporter despite contemporary convention, finds herself embroiled with her daring brother Matthew in a quest to cover even the most harrowing and controversial stories. Pressured from all sides to slant the news toward various agendas, Ruth Ann and Matthew must make hard decisions as they pursue truth and justice on the frontier. Despite being historical fiction, the story's themes are deeply relevant... perhaps even timeless... as Ruth Ann comes of age and learns to stand against bullies of all kinds.

I don't know very much about Choctaw culture which makes these books truly interesting. The author's attention to historical and cultural detail shines in a way that creates a rich and deeply complex world for the characters. The town of Dickens is fully realized and Ruth Ann's family is surrounded by an interesting and conflicted cast of characters - all with their own agendas.

Having read the second book, I can say that the series just keeps getting better! The Executions is a great introduction to the world and characters, and I eagerly await more adventures with Ruth Ann & co...

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful story about Choctaw siblings running a newspaper in Indian Territory, shortly before it became part of the state of Oklahoma.

Matthew Teller & his sister Ruth Ann struggle against opposition to their local newspaper The Choctaw Tribune. They're in direct competition with The Dickens Herald, the "official" paper. Matthew wants to tell the truth in his paper. The other paper reports with a bit of a bias. This, of course, causes a lot of trouble for the Teller siblings & their wonderful friends.

I love that Ruth Ann is sweet & kind, but also resilient & smart. She wants to be a reporter, but those around her hold her back (mostly because they care about her, although they don't see her maturity & intelligence, just her youth).

Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer is a Choctaw author. I love how she peppers her story with aspects of her culture, but also of her faith. The characters go through true hardships, but things don't end neatly tied up with a bow. Nevertheless, their faith in Christ remains strong. Generalky, I don't enjoy westerns, but this one I thoroughly enjoyed, & I can't wait to read the rest of the series.

[Julia Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a well researched book, and it was interesting to read a story concerning the Choctaw Nation.
I was slightly worried about Ruth Ann and her abilities to be a journalist. No doubt her writing skills were excellent but she didn't seem robust enough to stomach the disturbing and distressing sights she would witness as a reporter. She fainted easily and needed protection from the people round her.
Of course, I might be comparing her with the journalists of today, both men and women, who report from war zones and are stoic in their reporting. Ruth Ann does live in the time when women were considered fragile and their place was at home. In this, she is a pioneer wanting to venture out to report the news.
The Exections was filled with memorable characters, which I enjoyed reading about. These characters encompassed different cultures, and brought a lot of interest to the novel.
I was surprised that at 90% I turned the page to find the story had ended. Rather abruptly I thought, and I did feel disappointed. The remaining 10% was taken up with a chapter from the sequel and back matter.
However, I can recommend this story for those who enjoy historical fiction.

[Joyce A Munz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This takes place in a small Oklahoma town before statehood. The land is being settled by the white people and there is conflict in how the two cultures will exist in the same state. The Trail of Tears is referenced several times and the reader should be familiar with that story. Interestingly, the author introduces a Jewish clock maker and his daughter who have come from Europe to escaped persecution. Of course, there are parallels in the racism shown the to the Choctaw people and the new immigrants.
There are multiple story lines as any good first in the series book has. However, this is a complete book. I learned a lot about the indigenous peoples customs, and how they continued to be relocated for the white settlers. How much progress have we made?

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book by this author I’ve read. I enjoyed the story but am disappointed that the storyline didn’t finish at the end. I don’t care for “cliffhanger” books that force a reader to purchase the next book; I think it is possible to write a series without doing that. I enjoyed how the author wove information about Native Americans in general and the Choctaw people specifically. She also includes information/real events outside the community that affect the story. I liked watching Ruth Ann mature as she and her brother, Matthew, deal with being “mixed race.” They try to do what they think is right. Matthew is a realist about their situation, but doesn’t walk around with a chip on his should. He tries to make a difference. I learned a lot which is always a big plus for me.

[Anne-Marie Webster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, the narrative may have started a little slow, but was very much worth progressing through to the end. This author gave an interesting snapshot of the tensions and differences of government and what was considered "honorable conduct" between the Choctaw nation, the US government and the early white settlers in the west. What is concerning to me is that today's society is no more "civilized" than that displayed in this book. All around we see evidence of evil: greed, hatred, violence, and actions fueled by fevered emotion as opposed to love, respect and common sense. Will we ever learn? God knows.

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

insightful

An insightful look into the life forged by those forced into Indian Territory. A good look into the life of a young Choctaw woman coming of age in a time when woman “belong[ed] in the kitchen” but we’re beginning to feel their roles break open into the larger world. The struggle to maintain tradition while living in a growing, new world mixing with other cultures is explored. Truly the freedom of the press has been a powerful force in the independence of thought in America. It’s moved so far towards the Dickens Tribune, I fear the concept of the Choctaw Version is harder and harder to find now than it was then.

[Linda Rorex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruth Ann Teller is an eighteen-year old Choctaw with her brother Matthew who owns the Choctaw Tribune newspaper in 1892. Ruth Ann and Matthew's quest for truth leads them to the farm of a condemned murderer, where they face opposition from the townspeople who want to silence their reports. This story explores the political and social upheavals in the Choctaw Nation as two political parties clash over old traditions and emerging problems. The story explores themes of friendship, family, faith and the fight for truth in a western setting. I really enjoyed this fantastic historical western fiction novel.

[Anna Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Christian book, but not overbearing or preachy.
The book is set in the 1890's, north of Texas in Indian Territory. Ruth Ann (Annie) Teller is a young woman learning to be an adult, how to be a Choctaw in a changing world ... where traditions are losing power to the encroaching Whites and their laws. She and brother, Matthew, publish a local paper, the Choctaw Tribune. Annie is searching for the truth, even though it can be dangerous both physically and mentally. Especially, as it's a risky time and place to be a woman not adhering to the expected female gender roles.

[Cass]

Rough Justice

These days some folks confuse justice with revenge. The Executions by Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer makes this distinction quite clear. While some portions of this book ooze blood across the viewing screen, most of the story benignly tells of a time when Native Americans, freed blacks, and most white folk lived side by side in relative harmony...but not always...and not everyone. It's those two exceptions that drive the reader to flip pages or keep scrolling. What a compelling, good read The Executions is! Now to find and read the sequel.

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would give this 4-4.5 stars. It was an interesting story to me, and ideas new to me. I haven't read any Native American stories in many years so it was time to pick one up. I actually did go on to read some other books by this author. I felt the flow was a bit choppy at times but not enough to detract a good deal from the story. The characters' trials seemed very unfair but they persisted anyway. I wanted to continue on with the story of the siblings, and their new friends. Overall I really did enjoy this read.

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Indian Territory, 1892. A mixed race sister and brother write and publish a newspaper written in both English and Choctaw. Theirs is the only honest paper, as the rival paper just prints the good stuff to try and entice more white settlers to move to the town. They cover difficult news like executions and murder while also dealing with difficult personalities in the town. Fortunately, there are also some very good people. First in a series. Good writing and good story. May need to look for the next.

[B.M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sawyer has written an enlightening and moving novel set in Indian Territory (now Oklahoma) in the 1890s. The main character is Ruth Ann, a young Chocktaw woman who works with her brother on The Chocktaw Tribune, a rival to the only other newspaper in their small town. Their story is compelling and very well written. As an Australian, I learnt much about the history of this part of the U.S. and the Chocktaw people.

[Donald Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

the story of never ending fight against human cultural segregation.the author does a great job

The author does a great job presenting the cases of various human segregation as confronted by a young Indian woman trying to move from the traditional place in society (in the home) tone of business and professionalism. Each situations she confronts and handles not only shows what she had to face but transcends into present day problems. Recommended reading for all young adults.

[Kelvin Reed · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me quite a while to finish "The Executions: Choctaw Tribune Historical Fiction Series, Book 1" (2015) by Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer. Set in 1892, the novel is told primarily from the perspective of young Choctaw Native American woman Ruth Ann, who assists her older brother Matthew with publishing the Choctaw Tribune, a small local newspaper. Ruth Ann discovers that pursuing the truth can be challenging—and dangerous. Not compelling, but interesting and recommended.

[Cindy Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written

"Gritty" was used in a blurb about this book. True. I suppose more so than I prefer. I don't have a desire to continue this journey.

But the book is well written and researched. The characters are true to life, I believe. I did have difficulty visualizing the characters and many of the scenes. Just this writer's style.

[HiDesert Granny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible story - so well researched and written that you can begin to understand the challenges of living in a world that doesn’t want you and to admire the strength and integrity of the Choctaw who knows God. Beautifully told, this story has everything, as mentioned by others. It shows that we are more alike than different if we have love.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read book for all! It's a great story that's made even better because it's historically true. I only knew a little about the Choctaw Indians, and loved learning more. This story grabbed my heart and wouldn't let go. I had to keep reading so got more of her books. This book will keep you reading so make sure you don't have anything else planned, and have some Kleenex near by too!

[Brittany hooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many voices in this story. Enjoyed following them through personal experiences and public experiences. As you watch a young women come of age and find her voice only to be pushed down again and again. Watching the struggles of society. Enjoyed this book. Trying to decide if I want to read the sequel.

[Sbalagna · Rating 5 out of 5]

executions

A very interesting book, with many adventures to keep you wanting to continue reading, to discover what lies next for the characters, the newspaper and the town. The book gives pause to understand what could happen on Indian territory when other than Choctaws would arrive to make a home.

[Mony Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Executions is an engrossing historical read with rich detail and compelling characters. I loved following Ruth Ann and Matthew as they navigated political intrigue, family loyalty, and danger in the Choctaw Nation. The mix of Western grit and cultural depth made it feel authentic and immersive, and the story kept me hooked from start to finish.