"Between Two Shores" by Jocelyn Green
Catherine Stands-Apart, the middle child of a Mohawk mother and French-Canadian fur trader father, has wavered between two worlds for as long as she can remember. When her mother and siblings deserted her abusive alcoholic father, she alone remained, yet refused to fully submit to his desires to form her into a proper French madamoiselle. She attempts to bridge these worlds, factoring trades and employing her sister and other Mohawk women to transport furs along the rivers which form the borders between nations, despite the hostilities between the French, English, and their respective native North American allies. That conflict, which has expanded from raiding parties into full-blown war, has brought famine to their doorstep. When her father ransoms a hostage, however, she is forced to face a buried pain far greater than an empty belly.
Set during the backdrop of the "Seven Years War" (which we Americans know as the "French and Indian War"), Between Two Shores captures Catherine Stands-Apart's longing to find her own place in the constant tug between two disparate words and yearning for peace and security. She embarks on a perilous journey, and the crossing ripples of her past and her present will pull readers into her bateau's wake. I was captivated by the depth of character developed in this single perspective story, which allowed Catherine's voice to shine like sunlight dappling the ripples of her oar strokes. While the events surrounding her voyage form a fascinating tale, readers will find her emotional and spiritual journey as tumultuous and ultimately satisfying, despite the river's bends and turns.
Award-winning author Jocelyn Green has crafted many memorable heroines, but none quite so vivid and fiercely vulnerable as Catherine. Readers who love Laura Frantz's novels about the early American eastern frontier and Jane Kirkpatrick's sweeping stories of westward migration will be enchanted by this new classic in Christian historical fiction. While I would have previously listed The Mark of the King as my favorite book by Jocelyn Green, Between Two Shores may take it's place!
*Mini spoiler alert* Some readers who long for a traditional, predictable "happily ever after" may be disappointed by the ending, but I found it refreshing and satisfying. Sometimes the road less taken is exactly the right path - especially when the road is along the shadowy edges of a silver highway down a moonlit river.
I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are completely my own.