Turtle in the Hot Plum Moon
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Michael Gentle Deer is a shy but stubborn fourteen-year-old, raised by the great Shawnee Tecumseh after the untimely death of Michael’s parents. Michael lost one set of parents, and now after the last battle of the War of 1812, on Mackinac Island, his new Shawnee family is missing. Michael is afraid to be left alone. Not willing to accept the possible death of the only father he knows, he strikes out for Turtle Island in the frigid Upper Peninsula of Michigan. He has heard that Pau-guk, the death spirit, leads dead bodies into heaven from Turtle Island, so the scared but determined red-head makes his way through unsafe waters of the Detroit River, up through Lake St. Clare to Mackinac, the island the Indians call Turtle. Michael searches for the Indian burial ground to find his lost Shawnee family, until a mean-spirited British sergeant captures him and conscripts him into the British Army. Michael is not cut out for army life; he would rather draw pictures than fight. Ridiculed and made to serve in menial tasks, Michael wins the respect of the soldiers by his concern and his care for a sick child in the barracks. After fighting in the last battle of the War of 1812 on Mackinac Turtle Island, Michael learns some bitter-sweet news. Nevertheless, with the help of an Indian girl and a hunch-back Sioux, Michael finds his family and his home.
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About the Book
Michael Gentle Deer is a shy but stubborn fourteen year old, raised by the great Shawnee Tecumseh after the untimely death of Michael's parents. Michael is afraid to be left alone. He has heard that a death spirit, leads dead bodies into heaven from the Island called Turtle, however although frightened he believes he will find Tecumseh there. He strikes out for the island to find his friend. As Michael searches for the Indian burial ground to find his lost Shawnee family, a mean-spirited British sergeant captures him and conscripts him into the Army. Not cut out for army life, he would rather draw pictures than fight. Ridiculed and made to serve menial tasks, Michael finally wins the respect of the soldiers by his care of a sick child in the barracks. After fighting in the last battle of the War of 1812 on Mackinac Turtle Island, with the help of an Indian girl and a hunch-back Sioux, Michael finds his family and his home.
About the Author
I have been a journalist and a writer since I was a child. From the time I visited the Press Room of the Philadelphia Inquirer I was hooked. Growing up on the East Coast I am now a mid-westerner and loving all the research I have been able to glean for my juvenile historic novels. My husband, Jim, is supportive of my craft, as are my four children, nine grandchildren, and now my baby great grand children. I have held writing workshops in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Michigan and served as guest faculty for Chautauqua Highlights, and for the Intergenerational Institute in Glens Falls, New York for four years. I also taught writing workshops in Hilton Head, South Carolina schools. My books: From the Ashes Colors of War Animal Academy Short Stories for Magazines