An Enduring Passion This is a historical love story set in the early 1800's (1830-1840). It is about the love between two of my ancestors, my fourth great-grandfather and great-grandmother. Their names are Woodard Foutch and Morning Nantanoah. They meet, fall in love, and develop a passionate and enduring relationship which carries them together through hardships of various kinds. Woodard's heritage is from his paternal and maternal ancestors who came to the United States from Germany (Prussia). The original German surname is Pfautz. From there the English version became Fouts, Foutch, and Fouch. Morning Nantanoah is a Cherokee woman from the far western part of Virginia. Morning's name in Cherokee is Awendela. I have chosen to use her Cherokee name, instead of the translated name in English, throughout this work. Awendela is a young woman of nineteen at the beginning of the story and she lives with her parents. Woodard is a white man of European descent. His ethnic heritage is Czechoslovakian, not German, even though his family emigrated to the United States from Germany (Prussia). Woodard works as a scout for the U. S. army. His outpost is a day's journey from the Cherokee village where Awendela lives. He is twenty and Awendela is nineteen when they meet at Glistening Creek under tenuous circumstances in the opening scene in the text. These are real people but I have built around them a story which is fiction. I have endeavored to do my research and make my information as factual as possible. This includes everything from genealogical records to verifying which plants and flowers are native to Virginia. So, the people who are in my lineage and the timeline reflect actual people and dates in so far as possible. The environment around the far western part of Virginia is also described as factually as possible. Cherokee names, customs, heritage, and life style are also the basis of my descriptions concerning these things. The story has hooks into the Trail of Tears, the tragic relocation of the Cherokee to west of the Mississippi into Tahlequah, Oklahoma. This work of fiction involves real major historical events as the backdrop for this story. The story includes the courtship of Awendela by Woodard, their marriage, and the first five of their seven children: James, Didama, Nancy, Alexander, and Andrew. The last child in the story, Andrew, is in my lineage and is my third great-grandfather on my father's side of the family tree. The story ends in 1840 with the birth of Andrew Foutch. An epilogue has been included at the end of the story to describe what transpired in terms of genealogical information and the fictional story around these real people. The description of these ancestors of mine attempts to account for where people were born and the life events surrounding those circumstances and other adventures. I hope you do enjoy this novel. It has been crafted with enthusiasm and love for family.
About the Author: Carol Eugenia Thompson Sauceda was born in Austin, Texas in 1954. She transplanted to Colorado in 1985 and has been enjoying her view of the mountains ever since. Carol has a strong academic background. She holds a B. S. in Chemistry, a masters degree in Electrical Engineering and also one in Counseling. Carol holds two nationally recognized credentials: she is a National Certified Counselor (NCC) and a Board Certified Christian Counselor (BCCC). She is a speaker and addresses the subject of grief as one of her main topics. Carol wrote her first book at age ten, including illustrations. She has written four more books as an adult. Two of her books have been published and the other two will be published in 2014. She is now semi-retired and works part time, which allows her ample time for writing. Carol was married in 1978 and has two sons. Her oldest son lives in Ft. Collins with his wife and their children. Carol loves being a grandmother. She is well acquainted with grief, having lost her youngest son to suicide. She has also suffered many other losses. She continues to heal from these griefs and sorrows. Carol is an outdoor enthusiast. She enjoys orienteering, camping, hiking, science fiction, quilting and sewing, puzzles, and cruises. She loves to write. She enjoys living in Fort Collins, Colorado, where she finds inspiration to live every day to the fullest extent by the grace of God.