The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn

by Benton, Lori

  To learn more about Franklin and how the movement for statehood began and ended, I highly recommend Barksdale’s book. Also, PBS has a program on DVD, The Mysterious Lost State of Franklin: The Story of America’s First Secession, that’s well worth watching. Other books I found helpful: Pat Alderman, The Overmountain Men; Brenda C. Calloway, America’s First Western Frontier: East Tennessee; John R. Finger, Tennessee Frontiers: Three Regions in Transition; Samuel Cole Williams, History of the Lost State of Franklin.

  My parents chose North Carolina as the destination of many family vacations during my growing-up years, building in me a particular fondness for the state from the Outer Banks to the Blue Ridge. Even with visits to North Carolina over the past forty years—more than one of them with novel research as the catalyst—this story required a great deal of study for setting and historical purposes, and insights I couldn’t glean from books. Several individuals who live and work in North Carolina graciously responded to my questions over the past few years. For their helpful assistance, my thanks to Betsy Pittman, resident genealogist, Burke County, North Carolina, for information on marriage bonds and how people married in North Carolina in the 1780s; Gail Benfield, curator, North Carolina Room, Burke County Public Library, for information about Morganton in the late eighteenth century; Sandy West, for descriptions of Morganton and the surrounding countryside as it would have appeared in 1787.

  The Cherokees, a people living in the Overmountain region long before the influx of white settlers, were tragically caught up in warfare and strife during the entire eighteenth century. The war chief, Dragging Canoe, is not my creation. His history—his opposition to white land purchases and the treaties many of the older generation of Cherokee chiefs, including his father, had signed and seen broken, and his break with the Cherokees to form the splinter group, the Chickamaugas—as presented in this story is true. I’m thankful to the authors of the following books for sharing their insights and expertise, particularly on the history of Cherokee women and the life of the warrior Dragging Canoe: Sarah H. Hill, Weaving New Worlds: Southeastern Cherokee Women and Their Basketry; Theda Perdue, Cherokee Women: Gender and Culture Change, 1700–1835; Pat Alderman, Nancy Ward, Cherokee Chieftainess, Dragging Canoe, Cherokee-Chickamauga War Chief; Nadia Dean, A Demand of Blood: The Cherokee War of 1776.

  A people whose history was essential in the creation of two characters, Jesse Bird and Cade, are the Shawnees, particularly the Mekoche sept, to which the famed peace chief, Cornstalk, belonged. The novels of James Alexander Thom (Warrior Woman, Panther in the Sky, Follow the River) first brought the Shawnee people and their history to life for me. My thanks to Samantha Holland for her help with some of the Shawnee words and phrases included in this story. For further research on Shawnee culture, I turned to Colin G. Calloway’s book The Shawnees and the War for America. I also extend my thanks to the folk at the Pickaway County Ohio Historical Society for needful information on Scippo Creek, near where Cornstalk’s Town stood, and where Cade made his dramatic appearance among the Shawnees.

  It’s said it takes a village to raise a child; the same is true of books. A writer spends an inordinate amount of time alone with her characters, but eventually a host of people come alongside and offer invaluable insight and skill that takes a manuscript and improves it by leaps. For that refining process with The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn, my deepest thanks go to my editor at WaterBrook Multnomah, Shannon Marchese, for input on the characters’ emotional arcs both insightful and true. I’m amazed at her ability to see what was there, what was lacking, and how to knit it all together. Also my thanks to Susan Tjaden, Nicci Jordan Hubert, and Laura Wright for further refining many story elements. Kristopher Orr created another gorgeous cover and allowed me a voice in choosing the Tamsen who would grace it, making this writer very happy. Amy Haddock, Kendall Davis, Lynette Kittle, and the rest of the WaterBrook Multnomah team who answer e-mails, provide graphics, bookmarks, publicity, reassurance, and countless other things behind the scenes, it’s a privilege to work with you talented folk.

  Pamela Patchet—thanks for sharing your hilarious squirrel-invasion stories. Tamsen and I are likely scarred for life.

  Last but not least, thank you, readers, for making room in your hearts for my characters. Writing is a circular endeavor, and the writer is only half that circle. She needs readers to close it for her. Deepest thanks to each of you who’ve closed that circle for me in the form of letters, e-mails, reviews, and notes to tell me how my stories have affected you. God knows how you’ve blessed me. I hope you do as well.

  READERS GUIDE

  Jesse and Tamsen: An Uncommon Pursuit

  1. From the moment he set eyes on her, Jesse senses Tamsen is the woman God fashioned for him. Have you experienced an instant connection with a new acquaintance? Are Jesse and Tamsen well suited to each other? Why or why not?

  2. Jesse’s vow to Reverend Teague to protect and provide for Tamsen without asking anything in return was as binding to him as a marriage vow, though it was Tamsen who first suggested the marriage. Were you as surprised by that proposal as Jesse? Did Jesse keep his vow?

  3. Jesse and Tamsen both make startling discoveries about their identities. What factors enabled each character to accept these discoveries and move on? Have you ever learned something about your past that came as a surprise? Did it change how you viewed yourself or your place in the world?

  4. Both Jesse and Ambrose experienced strong reactions to their first sight of Tamsen Littlejohn. What did each man see in Tamsen, and how did that shape their subsequent actions toward her?

  5. How many people were pursuing Tamsen Littlejohn? Name them, and explain the nature of each pursuit. Was God pursuing her as well?

  Bryan and Collin Kincaid: A Father’s Legacy

  1. Which character was most impacted by Bryan Kincaid? In what way? How has Bryan’s legacy of acceptance and loyalty been passed on to Jesse? How does Jesse reflect it at the end of the story?

  2. Ambrose Kincaid struggles with a temper like that of his father, Collin, who gave it such rein it led to destruction, bitterness, and grief. Did you feel sympathy or anger toward Ambrose? Did that change over the course of the story? Why or why not?

  3. Cade risked his life to find his brother’s son, then devoted his life to raising him. Did he always make the right decisions for Jesse? Should he have told Jesse the truth sooner, or do you agree he had reason to be cautious in that regard?

  4. The Reverend Teague describes Cade and Jesse as godly men. No man is perfect, but would you agree with that assessment? Why or why not?

  Tamsen’s Quest: A Woman’s Place in the Eighteenth Century

  1. Tamsen longs for something more than the restricted existence her stepfather planned for her. Was her snap decision to flee with Jesse based on something more than fear? If so, what might it have been?

  2. Throughout the story Tamsen encounters women from walks of life different from her own: Molly Teague, Janet and Bethany Allard, White Shell and Blackbird. Which of these women do you think was the most influential example of the kind of woman Tamsen ultimately decided to become? Did they each contribute in some way to Tamsen’s finding her path in life? How so?

  3. Throughout the story, clothing is a metaphor for Tamsen’s quest of self-discovery. Can you chart the progression of Tamsen’s inner growth through the clothing she discarded, borrowed, or created? If you were to list the items, what inner change in Tamsen corresponds with each?

  4. Tamsen’s feelings for her mother were complicated. Did Tamsen gain a clearer insight into her mother’s choices? Do you think Sarah did the best she could, given the circumstances in which she was left after Stephen Littlejohn’s death?

  No Man Is an Island: Supporting Characters

  1. Against his will, Charlie Spencer was drawn into the hunt for Tamsen, only to realize his initial perceptions of those linked to the situation were mistaken. Were you satisfied with the role Charlie played before he got his wish for solitude
? Why or why not?

  2. Tamsen’s relationship with Bethany had a rocky beginning. Could you understand or sympathize with Bethany? Was Bethany more of a help or hindrance to Tamsen in the end? In what ways might she have been both of those things?

  3. Two men stepped into the role of father figure for Tamsen. The second was Cade, but the first was Luther Teague. Were you surprised at the turn things took once Tamsen and Jesse reached the Teagues’ the first time around? Do you think Luther Teague gave the couple wise counsel? Why or why not?

  Historical Backdrop: The State of Franklin and the Cherokees

  1. Did you know about the Lost State of Franklin before reading this story? What about this attempt at independent statehood surprised or interested you most?

  2. The turmoil in the Overmountain region in the 1780s extended beyond the borders of Franklin and North Carolina, to the Cherokee Nation and the Chickamaugas. Were you surprised to learn that Native peoples were struggling with divisions during this time period? Did the inclusion of the Cherokees and Thunder-Going-Away’s town provide more to the story than a refuge for Tamsen and Jesse? If so, what?

  GLOSSARY OF NATIVE WORDS AND PHRASES

  Tsalagi — the Cherokee language

  mata-howesha — not good; Shawnee

  meshewa — horse; Shawnee

  nooleewi-a — be quiet; Shawnee

  Lenni Lenape — the Delaware Nation

  Spay-lay-wi-theepi — the Ohio River; Shawnee

  Lenawe nilla — I am Shawnee; Shawnee

  msi-kah-mi-qui — council house; Shawnee

  ki Shawano aatowe — speak Shawnee; Shawnee

  ma-tah — no; Shawnee

  osda — good; Cherokee

  siyo — an informal greeting; Cherokee

  ulethi equi’wa — beautiful woman; Shawnee

  ni haw-ku-nah-ga — you are my wife; Shawnee

  i’hya — river cane; Cherokee

  uwoduhi — beautiful; Cherokee

  Ghighau — Beloved Woman; Cherokee

  Ani-yun-wiya — the Cherokee Nation, literally the Real People

  unega — the white man; Cherokee

  s-qui-:ya — too many; Cherokee

  he-ga — you go; Cherokee

  wehpetheh — go, leave; Shawnee

  peshewa — wildcat; Shawnee

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  LORI BENTON was born and raised east of the Appalachian Mountains, surrounded by early American and family history going back to the sixteen hundreds. Her novels transport readers to the eighteenth century, where she brings to life the colonial and early federal periods of American history, creating a melting pot of characters drawn from both sides of a turbulent and shifting frontier, brought together in the bonds of God’s transforming grace.

  When Lori isn’t writing, reading, or researching eighteenth-century history, she enjoys exploring the mountains of Oregon with her husband and their dog.

  I am the place where two rivers meet, silted with upheaval and loss.

  Formerly an Indian captive named Burning-Sky, Willa Obenchain unexpectedly returns to her family’s New York homestead after her twelve-year absence. With faith in God and the skills to survive on the frontier, Willa must decide if love is possible as she faces the challenges brought on by her dual identities and an unforgiving land.

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