Live near Brookings, South Dakota? Want to learn more about the stories behind Beneath the Same Stars?
I cordially invite you to “The Stories Behind the Story,” a revealing look at the 1862 U.S.-Dakota War and the historical novel I based upon it. The event will take place from 7:00-8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 18, at the Brookings Arts Council, 524 4th Street, Brookings. Along with the presentation, you’l enjoy coffee and lively dialogue. A book-signing will follow.
Beneath the Same Stars was officially released by One Sky Press on Monday, August 20, the 156th anniversary of the war. Also known as the Sioux Uprising, the Dakota Conflict, and various other names, the brief war in southwestern Minnesota has been largely forgotten. It eventually led to the forcible expulsion of the Dakota nation from their traditional homeland. The white authorities deported the Dakota people to a reservation (now called Crow Creek) in what was then known as Dakota Territory.
In Beneath the Same Stars I look at the 1862 war through the tight lens of Sarah Wakefield, a doctor’s wife taken captive with her two babies on the first day of the uprising. Their fate fell into the hands of the warrior Ćaske. The lives of Sarah and Ćaske became tragically intertwined.
The novel portrays the gripping story of two people, caught between worlds, who were willing to do almost anything to defend those they care about, including each other. But the drama was bigger than themselves. Tragic forces had been set in motion. Sadly, many of the dynamics at work in 1862 are still in play today. We need to look honestly at them and ask what we might do to address them.
Beneath the Same Stars is available in both paperback and ebook formats. Get your copy now on Amazon.
