Along the way, he acquires a companion, Huwei or Dove, a young Shoshone woman, a survivor of the Bear Creek Massacre. Suffering from what was then known as “soldier’s heart”, Will follows the trail of immigrants west, searching for peace – and runs into the middle of Red Cloud’s War. In writing my most recent novel, The Search, I follow my main character Will Crump from the ashes of the Civil War to the high country of Wyoming and Montana, in the period 1865-1868. But what if there isn’t much written down? What if there isn’t much left to see? Authors concerned with ancient history often encounter this problem, but it can be equally true when writing about more modern but not literate societies. Research means delving into the internet, written archives, libraries, diaries and newspapers, and possibly visiting the places of the events. Most writers of history do mountains of research to make their work as authentic as possible, true to the culture, times, known facts, and people. There is a basic timeline for the story that can’t change. Historical fiction is an unusual type of writing, because many events, and even characters are already determined. His post reflects on the challenges of seeking oral sources for history, eliminating historical bias, and bridging a cultural divide.
#ACROSS THE GREAT DIVIDE SERIES#
Ross, author of The Search, book II of his series Across the Great Divide. Ross (P)2019 Michael L.Today, I welcome Michael L. Will and his family must somehow mend the torn fabric of relationships to find peace, and reach Across the Great Divide. Throughout the war, Will is forced to examine and question everything he believes in - his faith in God, his love for his family, his loyalty to Morgan, and his worth as a human being. Luther has to confront the demons of his past, an abusive master, and a slave catcher that kills his little sister. He escapes with his family, and when war breaks out, he fights for the North as an auxiliary of the Third Ohio Cavalry, alongside Julia’s husband, Hiram, and against Morgan and Will. Luther is one of the first slaves Albinia helps flee the South after his master cruelly abuses his mother and sister. When the Confederates capture her, will she survive? Her business relations put her in the perfect position to spy for the North.
When Hiram answers the call to fight for the North, Julia runs the steamboat company in her husband’s absence and uses her boats to help Albinia ferry escaped slaves to freedom. They marry and she makes a new life in the North. Will’s other sister, Julia, is approaching spinster status and despairs of ever meeting a man who can give her more than life on a farm until she meets Hiram Johannsen, a son of immigrants who owns a steamship company. She becomes involved in the Underground Railroad, helping slaves to freedom - but will it cost her love and her freedom? When she finds Luther, a slave she knows, trying to escape, she must decide between her conscience, and her friends. Will’s sister Albinia, friend of the Clay family, becomes increasingly aware of the plight of the slaves. He fights bravely, but increasingly questions what the war is accomplishing, and whether his devotion to honor has led him astray.
As part of Morgan’s band, Will participates in ambushes and unconventional warfare until his first real battle at Shiloh. Will’s father, sisters, and sweetheart follow the Union, while Morgan and Will commit to the South. As tensions rise between the North and South, Will is torn between his loyalty to Morgan and his love for his family. Morgan mentors Will and enrolls him in the local university, where he hopes to study law. After saving John Hunt Morgan from a puma attack, 15-year-old farm boy Will Crump joins Hunt’s militia, the Lexington Rifles.
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