Carole Whang Schutter
On September 11, 1857, the first act of religious terrorism in the United States took place in Utah when a group of fanatical Mormons massacred a prosperous wagon train of 120 settlers from Arkansas and Missouri on their way to California. Driven by a despotic Brigham Young who thundered chilling messages of Blood Atonement from the pulpit, the faithful committed polygamy, murder and castration in the name of God.
Based on one of America’s most horrific historical events, this is the story of the improbable romance between two nineteen-year-olds from starkly different worlds, the son of a Mormon Bishop, and the daughter of a Christian pastor. In a beautiful, pristine valley called Mountain Meadows, Jonathan, tormented by the execution of his beautiful mother by a lecherous Apostle, falls in love with beautiful, spirited Emily. Ordered to spy on the wagon train by his father, Jonathan tames a magnificent wild black stallion and wins the heart of the girl who has captured his.
The tension builds to a crescendo with the growing conflict between Jonathan and his father Jacob. Fanatically wedded to the cause, Jacob believes in the righteousness of the atrocity commanded by the Prophet and the leaders of the Mormon Church. Another victim of the tragedy is Jonathan’s beloved brother, good-natured Micah, who self-destructs in the process of becoming a mass murderer. In the midst of the massacre, Jonathan must choose between his brother and his faith, or Emily.
As Jonathan races to save Emily before September Dawn, the reader is left breathless with heart-pounding anticipation as the scope and magnitude of their love amidst the searing fire and ashes of the Mountain Meadow Massacre dramatically, and unforgettably, unfolds.
After you read the book, be sure to check out the movie. For more information on September Dawn the movie, please visit the official website for the film.
I was born with a dream. I wanted to write. It took me over half a century to fulfill my dream but with God’s help and persistence anything is possible. That mantra defines my life. No matter how difficult life becomes, no matter how many curve balls life throws your way, never give up.
I have been in heaven and I’ve been in hell. But I held on to my faith as my most precious possession. – Carole Whang Schutter
Carole Whang Schutter was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. She graduated with a degree in Psychology from the University of Hawaii and is an evangelical Christian. A widow, Carole has been a motivational speaker to live audiences as well as appearing on TV and radio shows. She now occupies her time writing novels, screenplays, and inspirational books. Her enduring interest in religion and passion for history led her to write September Dawn, her first screenplay written in collaboration with Director/Producer Christopher Cain. The novel September Dawn, was inspired by the movie. An avid skier and a hiker, she lives in Aspen. Currently, she is working on several screenplays and a historical novel about her home state Hawaii.
PROLOGUE
September 11, 1907
There are things that happen in the course of history that are so
horrific that the people involved feel the need to create versions they can
live with. With this in mind, on the fiftieth anniversary of the first act
of religious terrorism in the United States, Paul and his mother, Emmy,
decided to tell the rest of the family the truth about their Grandpa’s role
in the Mountain Meadows massacre and his enduring passion for the
woman he loved.
Laid out in thick leather journals was a story so shocking that
Grandpa felt it necessary to add research gathered over the years in order
to support his tale of two clashing cultures and the love that wouldn’t
die…
Paul strengthened the project by lending it objectivity. His analytical
mind could look at the facts with emotional detachment. Grandpa
admitted he was too close to the subject matter. Just reading The Life
and Confessions of John D. Lee moved him to tears. Because Grandpa
personally knew both the victims and their assassins, the account caused
him to relive the horror once again.
By the time Paul became invol
