A View of the River

I read this story years ago but had forgotten that A View of the River is not your typical Kathleen Eagle story. The Native American struggle is still a part of the story but it has a ghostly element to it, blending past and present together in a way that Kathleen Eagle does best. Just not usually real spirits involved in her books.

The injustices and greed from the past come to light which parallel the one among the members of Rochelle’s family. However, it seems the spirits have had enough of that. As the Ojibwe shaman Birch Trueblood works with Rochelle LeClair a bond is formed between them. Besides these two, I especially liked the part the children played in the story as well as Rochelle’s aging aunt. The sister and her entourage not at all.

I preferred for the story to dwell on the romance, more than the harsh family drama that takes place in the story. However, just like the weather, the family served a purpose to make this story complete.

I absolutely loved this book! As in most of Kathleen Eagle's books the hero of this story is Birch Trueblood, a proud Ojibwa healer who makes a meager living for himself, and his young daughter as a shaman who performs rituals for tourists and New Age believers near what used to be Ojibwa ancestral land on Mille Lacs Lake in Minnesota. Our heroine, Rochelle LeClair, is the caretaker of the Bruner estate as well as a companion to her elderly and quite eccentric Aunt Meg who is the grand daughter of Martin Bruner who made his fortune as a lumber baron many years ago. When Birch and Robin are caught in a historic Halloween blizzard that strands several other members of Aunt Meg's family this unlikely group of characters take shelter at the old estate and all kinds of strange things begin to happen. This story is a family drama, a romance, and a ghost story that has a dual time line that I found fascinating and equally compelling. I especially enjoyed all of the period clothes and accessories that are a very big part of the story and the revelation of some shocking news that ties the entire story up in a very satisfactory way. I read a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley and all opinions expressed in my voluntary review are completely my own.

Birch Trueblood, Obijwe Shaman and Rochelle LeClair come together even their differences. Have this book in paper back and enjoyed the well written book with story line and characters.

Ebook from netgalley and publishers with thanks.Opinions are entirely my own.