Book Review: Widow Walk by Gar LaSalle

Widow Walk is book one of Gar LaSalle’s HISTORICAL FICTION SAGA. Told in the FIRST PERSON POV, the story takes place in 1867, a time of high tension in the American PACIFIC NORTHWEST between indigenous native Americans and colonists― conflict roused after the PUGET SOUND’S WAR and the TREATY OF MEDICINE CREEK in 1854. The Treaty preserved native American’s ancestral land but appropriated prime native farmland.

Mr. LaSalle’s writing is a superb depiction of historical facts filled with descriptions of land, sea, and air of the new country unfolding around characters. This is a treasure for the history buff, as well as a wonderful story revolving around the EVERS FAMILY.

Emmy, Isaac, and their two children, Sarah and Jacob, have arrived at WHIDBEY ISLAND during dangerous times with threats of aboriginal marauders killing settlers in the area. Emma, a refined Boston-breed woman, is not faint of heart, but a strong, hard-working, and courageous woman who manages the farmstead, and cares for two children during her husband’s absence. Although dismayed by her new surroundings, Emmy remains strong for her children.

During this period, settlers fear for their lives, but most of all, they’re terrified of one HAIDA WARRIOR, ANAH NAWITKA HALOSHEM (a.k.a. “Black Wind”).

Anah Nawitka leads marauders on vengeful kills against colonists. A vengeance fueled not only by SETTLER’S LAND ENCROACHMENT, but also because of personal loss ―the death of his mother from measles brought over by white men, and the kidnapping of his sister by Boston sailors. Brutal, bloodthirsty, and triumphant, Anah Nawitka never returns to his village without a token.

When Anah Nawitka comes for Isaac Evers, Emmy’s world is devastated. Not only does she lose her husband Isaac to a brutal beheading, but also her six-year-old son Jacob, Kidnapped by Anah. Barely, surviving a miscarriage, and the death of her husband, Emmy summons all her strength and seeks the help of men who know the territory and can help her track and retrieve her son from the merciless Anah Nawitka.

Mr. LaSalle’s story is WELL-WRITTEN, SUSPENSEFUL with GREAT CHARACTERS, and a COURAGEOUS FEMALE PROTAGONIST set during the American colonization of the Pacific Northwest. It is also a story of a MOTHER’S LOVE and courage and persistence to find her son in the dangerous wilderness and OUTWIT A FEARED WARRIOR. If you’re a history buff looking for a captivating read, I highly recommend Widow Walk.

Gar LaSalle is an award-winning historical fiction author and documentary filmmaker from Seattle, Washington. He holds degrees from California Institute of the Arts, Reed College in Portland, and Cornell University Medical School. When not welding massive sculptures or traversing the globe, he can be found in his Maury Island studio in the Puget Sound area of Washington State.