Author: Lisa Wingate
Published: June 4, 2024 by Ballantine Books
Format: Kindle, Hardcover, 368 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Source: My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
First Sentence: Possibly the old man made up stores he told as he saton the bench outside the Dairy queen in Ada, Oklahoma.
Blurb: Oklahoma, 1909. Eleven-year-old Olive Augusta Radley knows that her stepfather doesn’t have good intentions toward the two Choctaw girls boarded in their home as wards. When the older girl disappears, Ollie flees to the woods, taking six-year-old Nessa with her. Together they begin a perilous journey to the rugged Winding Stair Mountains, the notorious territory of outlaws, treasure hunters, and desperate men. Along the way, Ollie and Nessa form an unlikely band with others like themselves, struggling to stay one step ahead of those who seek to exploit them . . . or worse.
Oklahoma, 1990. Law Enforcement Ranger Valerie Boren O’dell arrives at Horsethief Trail National Park seeking a quiet place to balance a career and single parenthood. But no sooner has Valerie reported for duty than she’s faced with local controversy over the park’s opening, a teenage hiker gone missing from one of the trails, and the long-hidden burial site of three children deep in a cave. Val’s quest to uncover the truth wins an ally among the neighboring Choctaw Tribal Police but soon collides with old secrets and the tragic and deadly history of the land itself.
In this emotional and enveloping novel, Lisa Wingate traces the story of children abandoned by the law and the battle to see justice done. Amid times of deep conflict over who owns the land and its riches, Ollie and Val traverse the wild and beautiful terrain, each leaving behind one life in search of another.
My Opinion: Lisa Wingate’s novels are either a hit or miss for me. Shelterwood, for the most part, was a miss. Set in the Winding Stair Mountains of Oklahoma, the story blends historical and modern narratives: 1909 and 1990. The historical plot follows eleven-year-old Olive Augusta Radley and a young Choctaw girl named Nessa as they flee from exploitation, showcasing their resilience and determination amidst threats from land barons and outlaws.
In the 1990 timeline, law enforcement ranger Valerie Boren-Odell contends with the demands of her career and single parenthood while uncovering hidden secrets in Horsethief Trail National Park. The discovery of a burial site and the mysterious disappearance of a teenage hiker added layers to this otherwise monotonous narrative.
What began well, fell into a slow and droning middle, only to end with the best part of the book. I suggest you read the first twenty percent, know that the middle seventy percent is about the horrible things greedy people did to native children and the resilience they had to muster, then read the last ten percent to learn how their lives played out.
Blurb: Oklahoma, 1909. Eleven-year-old Olive Augusta Radley knows that her stepfather doesn’t have good intentions toward the two Choctaw girls boarded in their home as wards. When the older girl disappears, Ollie flees to the woods, taking six-year-old Nessa with her. Together they begin a perilous journey to the rugged Winding Stair Mountains, the notorious territory of outlaws, treasure hunters, and desperate men. Along the way, Ollie and Nessa form an unlikely band with others like themselves, struggling to stay one step ahead of those who seek to exploit them . . . or worse.
Oklahoma, 1990. Law Enforcement Ranger Valerie Boren O’dell arrives at Horsethief Trail National Park seeking a quiet place to balance a career and single parenthood. But no sooner has Valerie reported for duty than she’s faced with local controversy over the park’s opening, a teenage hiker gone missing from one of the trails, and the long-hidden burial site of three children deep in a cave. Val’s quest to uncover the truth wins an ally among the neighboring Choctaw Tribal Police but soon collides with old secrets and the tragic and deadly history of the land itself.
In this emotional and enveloping novel, Lisa Wingate traces the story of children abandoned by the law and the battle to see justice done. Amid times of deep conflict over who owns the land and its riches, Ollie and Val traverse the wild and beautiful terrain, each leaving behind one life in search of another.
My Opinion: Lisa Wingate’s novels are either a hit or miss for me. Shelterwood, for the most part, was a miss. Set in the Winding Stair Mountains of Oklahoma, the story blends historical and modern narratives: 1909 and 1990. The historical plot follows eleven-year-old Olive Augusta Radley and a young Choctaw girl named Nessa as they flee from exploitation, showcasing their resilience and determination amidst threats from land barons and outlaws.
In the 1990 timeline, law enforcement ranger Valerie Boren-Odell contends with the demands of her career and single parenthood while uncovering hidden secrets in Horsethief Trail National Park. The discovery of a burial site and the mysterious disappearance of a teenage hiker added layers to this otherwise monotonous narrative.
What began well, fell into a slow and droning middle, only to end with the best part of the book. I suggest you read the first twenty percent, know that the middle seventy percent is about the horrible things greedy people did to native children and the resilience they had to muster, then read the last ten percent to learn how their lives played out.
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