Beyond the Great River
People of the Longhouse, Book 1
Written by Zoe Saadia
Reviewed by Author Roy Murry
Trusting someone is hard when there is a language, religious, or cultural bearer. This still seems to be one of the biggest problems in our world today.
In Ms. Saadia’s Beyond the Great River series, she gets down to the basics of this issue, using a 14th century Mohican Indian village being attacked by foreigners - the Iroquois. Each side thinks that the others are pagans, not really knowing anything about each other.
The link between the two warring tribes comes from an unlikely source – a woman. And in those days women had no say what-so-ever. This young lady by the name of Kentika is not passive like all the others of her tribe - she speaks her mind upsetting many. She is tolerated, because of her father's position.
Her strong tomboy personality, faith in humans, and her acquired language gift allowed her to become the link to the world Beyond the Great River. She pays a high price for who she is, during the adventure in meeting Okwaho of the attacking tribe on a romp through the woods.
Their story is at times strange, funny, and tragic. Where it ends, leaves the reader wondering what comes next. This is what makes this first book in a series a good one to read – it should go you thinking. This is an excellent example.
I have read a few of Ms. Saadia’s books, and I recommend them highly. She gets to the core of her characters’ personalities and brings them alive in a no-nonsense writing style.