Elizabeth Howard’s assignment to gain crucial intelligence for General Washington leads her into the very maw of war at the Battle of Brooklyn Heights, where disaster threatens to end the American rebellion. Yet her heart is fixed on Jonathan Carleton, whose whereabouts remain unknown more than a year after he disappeared into the wilderness.
Carleton, now the Shawnee war chief White Eagle, is caught in a bitter war of his own—against the white settlers encroaching on Shawnee lands, the seductions of a beautiful widow, and the schemes of a vengeful shaman. But as unseen forces gather to destroy him, his most unyielding foe is the love for Elizabeth that holds his heart captive.
"This book worked for me on so many different levels. Throughout my reading, I was impressed time after time with the amount of research that had to have gone into this book. The depictions of the Battle of Brooklyn Heights are interesting and personal—as a reader, I felt like I was there. I could feel the characters’ fear and anxiety, and I cared about what happened. It’s bloody and realistic, and I was riveted. I’m not usually that interested in battle sequences, but Ms. Hochstetler succeeds in keeping me from skimming through those parts as I have done in other books that focus on battles.
"The other area that speaks to her in-depth research is her characterization of the Shawnee in this book. Her Shawnee characters are not just peripheral, one-dimensional characters—they are fleshed-out and real, with strong feelings and fears, loves, and hates. In other words, they are really a part of the story. Their part of the story is fictionalized, but many of the events depicted are very similar to events that occurred on the frontier at different times during the Revolution. I do know that the depictions of whites being adopted into the tribe are based in truth (Daniel Boone, for example, was adopted by a Shawnee chief during the war). And certainly any Native American group in close proximity to whites struggled with what aspects of white culture they should adopt and reject, and how they should deal with white settlers encroaching on their land.
"Wind of the Spirit is so historically rich and well-researched, but I also really like the characters. They are complicated and are forced to deal with many heart-wrenching events, but through it all they try their best to keep their faith in God and in each other. The historical information is seamlessly incorporated into what is, at its heart, a love story, and it helps to give the story tension and reality. The descriptions in this book are even better than in the first book, which almost overwhelmed me with description in the beginning. This is first-rate historical fiction with Christian themes. I definitely recommend it to those interested in historical fiction set during the American Revolution." —Katy F.
“I have each of the books in this series on my keeper shelf with good reason. The author is a first class historian as well as an excellent writer, comparable to the likes of James Alexander Thom and Allan Eckert in her rich descriptions of 18th-century life. Not only does she portray the Anglo perspective, she also covers the native aspect very, very well. Both the main characters and the secondary characters are multi-layered and fascinating with true to life emotions and conflicts appropriate to that time period. The plot moves briskly with no lag. This novel, like the others, is an intelligent, lyrical read that should appeal to both CBA readers and those in the general market. I recommend it highly and wish there were more books were like this one and this unforgettable series.” —ReadsalotLou
The third book in the American Patriot Series by J. M. Hochstetler is out and continues the saga of Elizabeth Howard and Jonathan Carleton. If you missed either of the first two books in the series, Daughter of Liberty or Native Son, I urge you to get a copy and read it before reading Wind of the Spirit. I found the series to be an accurate representation of history and recommend it to lovers of early American history.
"In Wind of the Spirit, Elizabeth, also known as Oriole, continues her missions to gather information for General Washington. She misses her dear friend, Jonathan, and begins to wonder if the stories reaching her of a white Shawnee war chief called White Eagle might be Jonathan. She persuades their friend, Colonel Charles Andrews, to mount an expedition to the land of the Shawnees to see if White Eagle really is Jonathan and if so, to persuade him to return to assist the Colonials in their fight. Jonathan has been adopted into the Shawnee tribe but has enemies in the tribe who feel he has not given up his white ways. One Shawnee, Wolfslayer, would like nothing more than to kill Jonathan.
"Wind of the Spirit is one of those books that grab you and is difficult to put down to do other tasks. Lovers of American history will find this story to mesh with actual history and will love the continuing story of Elizabeth and Jonathan. Please don’t miss it." --Bob Goss
