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Choctaw Tribune
Series · 2 books · 2015-2016

Books in series

The Executions book cover
#1

The Executions

2015

An alternative cover edition for this ASIN can be found here. From an award-winning author and Choctaw storyteller comes a riveting tale set in turn-of-the-century Indian Territory. Who would show up for their own execution? 1892, Indian Territory. A war brews in the Choctaw Nation as two political parties grapple between old tradition and evolving issues—with eighteen-year-old Choctaw Ruth Ann Teller caught in the middle. In a small but booming pre-statehood town, Ruth Ann’s mixed blood family owns a controversial newspaper, the Choctaw Tribune, infamous for its dedication to unbiased truth. Ruth Ann wants to help spread the word about critical issues, but there is danger for a female reporter on all fronts—socially, politically, even physically. But is the truth worth dying for? When this quest leads Ruth Ann and her brother Matthew, the stubborn editor of the fledgling Choctaw Tribune, to the farm of a condemned murderer, it also brings them to head on clashes with leading townsmen who want their reports about what really happened silenced no matter what. With the execution fast approaching, truth itself is on the line. When the dust has settled, who will survive to know the truth? And can the truth itself survive when all else is lost? The Executions is a story of friendship, faith, and family in a gritty western setting with characters that fight for truth against all odds. “Among the many pleasures of Sarah Elisabeth’s writing are her attention to character, language, and period detail. In The Executions, a story grounded in history and the complexities of pre-statehood Oklahoma, she brings to life, with great heart, the compelling mix of cultures, faith, and political intrigue in the old Choctaw Nation. An intriguing read.”—Rilla Askew, author of The Mercy Seat \\\* About the Choctaw Tribune Historical Fiction series: These books let you explore the old Choctaw Nation with Matthew and Ruth Ann Teller, a Choctaw brother and sister pair who own a newspaper, the Choctaw Tribune. They're in the midst of shootouts and tribal upheavals with the coming Dawes Commission in the 1890s. The changes in Indian Territory threaten everything they've known and force them to decide if they are going to take a stand for truth, even in the face of death. A historical fiction series with a Western flair, the Choctaw Tribune explores racial, political, spiritual, and social issues in the old Choctaw Nation—and beyond. Books in the series: The Executions (Book 1) Traitors (Book 2) Shaft of Truth (Book 3) Sovereign Justice (Book 4) Fire and Ink (Book 5) (Coming August 2023) Choctaw Tribune Boxset (Books 1 -3)
Traitors book cover
#2

Traitors

2016

"Someone's going to be king in this territory. No reason it can't be me. It sure won't be you." Betrayed. Someone is tearing at the fabric of the Choctaw Nation while political turmoil, assassinations, and feuds threaten the sovereignty of the tribe, which stands under the U.S. government’s scrutiny. When heated words turn to hot lead, Ruth Ann Teller—a young Choctaw woman—fears losing her brother, who won’t settle for anything but the truth. Matthew is determined to use his newspaper, the Choctaw Tribune, to uncover the scheme behind Mayor Thaddeus Warren’s claim to the townsite of Dickens. Matthew is willing to risk his newspaper—and his life—to uncover a traitor among their people. But when Ruth Ann tries to help, she causes more harm than good—especially after the mayor brings in Lance Fuller, a schoolteacher from New York, to provide a rare educational opportunity for white children. How does this charming yet aloof young man fit into the mayor’s scheme? When attacks against the newspaper strike and bullets fly, a trip to the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893 is the key to saving the Choctaw Tribune and Matthew’s investigation. But Ruth Ann must find the courage to face a journey to the White City—without her brother. “Sarah introduces many issues: race relations, the presence of Jews in the Choctaw Nation, the Lighthorsemen, the educated and civilized Choctaw, a few greedy white people, the struggle for women to have equal rights and be able to pursue careers, the political issues of the Nationals and the Progressives, the confusion and separation of the two tiered system for lawbreakers for the white man and the Indian in Indian Territory, morality, integrity, doing what is right and the Gospel message. These issues are all woven into the story of the Teller family. So much intrigue and mystery.” -Beverly Hardy Allen, author of Back Then: A Choctaw Family’s Noble Legacy of Perseverance \\\* About the Choctaw Tribune Historical Fiction series: These books let you explore the old Choctaw Nation with Matthew and Ruth Ann Teller, a Choctaw brother and sister pair who own a newspaper, the Choctaw Tribune. They're in the midst of shootouts and tribal upheavals with the coming Dawes Commission in the 1890s. The changes in Indian Territory threaten everything they've known and force them to decide if they are going to take a stand for truth, even in the face of death. A historical fiction series with a Western flair, the Choctaw Tribune explores racial, political, spiritual, and social issues in the old Choctaw Nation—and beyond. Books in the series: The Executions (Book 1) Traitors (Book 2) Shaft of Truth (Book 3) Sovereign Justice (Book 4) Fire and Ink (Book 5) (Coming August 2023) Choctaw Tribune Boxset (Books 1 -3)

Author

Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer
Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer
Author · 9 books

SARAH ELISABETH SAWYER is a story archaeologist. She digs up shards of past lives, hopes, and truths, and pieces them together for readers today. The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian honored her as a literary artist through their Artist Leadership Program for her work in preserving Choctaw Trail of Tears stories. She is the creator of the Fiction Writing: American Indians digital course. A tribal member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, she writes historical fiction from her hometown in Texas, partnering with her mother, Lynda Kay Sawyer, in continued research for future works. Learn more at SarahElisabethWrites.com, ChoctawSpirit.com, and Facebook.com/SarahElisabethSawyer.

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