Anchor Books – Author’s Reading & Signing

Historical Fiction: Early Days of the American Pacific Northwest
WAm | August 15, 2013     | 0 Comments
Widow Walk, By Gerard LaSalle

Review by Kristy McCaffrey

In Widow Walk, a fictional historical novel based on fact, we meet Emmy Evers, a young woman twice married and carving out a difficult life in the early days of the American Pacific Northwest. Her husband, Isaac, is a natural leader of their small community on Whidbey Island. Together they’re raising Emmy’s ten-year-old daughter Sarah and their five-year-old son Jacob. When tensions with the local Haida native people reach a breaking point, Isaac is violently killed and Jacob taken prisoner. Emmy’s resolve to find her son drives the second half of the book. Her ultimate confrontation with Anah, the brutal Haida leader who has Jacob, will leave you genuinely afraid for her while stunned by the outcome.

Widow Walk is a finely crafted narrative of the U.S. expansion into the final frontiers of present-day Washington State. LaSalle has a firm grasp of the history, politics, and cultural differences at play in the area. His use of the omniscient point-of-view, while giving the reader a thorough understanding of each character and their background, creates a sense of detachment to the story, almost as if reading a history book about the events. But Emmy’s courage and determination will stay with you long after the tale has ended. She lived a life of adventure in the truest sense, facing tragedy and heartbreak with an inner strength and stubborn resolve, always looking forward to a better future.

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Kristy McCaffrey lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, and enjoys hiking, running, and 20-minute vinyasa yoga routines. She writes historical western romances and loves to travel. Visit her blog “Pathways”