"She could use sanctuary...somewhere to rest." Morgan's characters are real women; fallible, vulnerable people who refuse to call themselves 'victim'. Letitia LeGrau is born aboard a small ship while her parents are on their way to the upper Columbia River region to Christianize the Indians. As the years pass, her parents fall deeper and deeper into the morass some call 'prairie sickness' and Lettie is burdened with more and more responsibilities. Moise Stark is a scrawny kid of twelve when his father kills his Native American mother and her unborn child and then sells Moise's little sister to the Indian hunters; Moise to the slavers. An impulsive move delivers Moise into the hands of a family hidden to the world--keepers of a sacred pool of healing waters. Moise will spend the next decade moving between the secreted family, the Catholic mission, and his mother's own people as he searches for his sister, for understanding, for peace. When he sees Letitia LeGrau dancing in the moonlight he determines to make her his own. He does so and together they create a haven of peace they call Eden. But a farming accident robs Moise of his mobility. Lettie is forced to leave their garden to work in a mining camp, and his father, still wanting Moise dead, finds Eden. Set against the vivid backdrop of the Pacific Northwest, Morgan again uses archaeologist Jill Reade to paint a picture of a love that grows, flowers, and continues to bloom long after the unimaginable has been forgotten.
About the Author: AMANDA MORGAN spent her early years in the area where her novels take place. She grew up experiencing the value of extended families. "When kin came calling we knew we were in for an evening of stories, laughter, and music. My father was a mesmerizing storyteller and as my generation matured, the stories, once limited to only the humorous, expanded to touch on family tragedies and associated scoundrels. "As an adult doing archaeological fieldwork, evenings were spent in much the same way; telling tales, analyzing the beliefs and practices of the culture we were studying--this time around a campfire. "I came to realize how powerful are family stories and local legends in establishing our mores. I have drawn on both for material for my novels. Morgan graduated with a degree in anthropology from the University of Oregon and earned a Master's degree in prehistory from the University of Sheffield in England. She has three grown daughters and lives near Portland, Oregon with her husband.