New-York, 1779: The Revolution made them enemies, but they became brothers...

Ginawo of the Skarure tribe and Joseph from the American force sent to wipe them out should have been enemies. When a twist of fate reverses the roles of captor and captive, though, they instead find their way to brotherhood among the Haudenosaunee clans.

Historical Context

Set in the homelands of the Haudenosaunee during the American Revolution, The Smoke explores the devastating consequences of a war that divided the Six Nations and brought American military campaigns into their communities. In 1779, the Sullivan-Clinton expedition systematically destroyed towns, crops, and food stores across Haudenosaunee territory, displacing thousands of people. The Skarure, or Tuscarora, had joined the Confederacy after migrating north from the Carolinas, bringing their own history of conflict and displacement. Against this background, the novel examines the relationships between peoples whom the Revolution placed on opposing sides, and the human cost of a campaign intended to break Native resistance.