Wind of the Spirit

Title: WIND OF THE SPIRIT
Author: J.M. Hochstetler
Publisher: Sheaf House
March 2009
ISBN: 978-0-9797485-3-0
Genre: Inspirational/historical

At long last, the continuation of the American Patriot Series, WIND OF THE SPIRIT is here. A sequel to Daughter of Liberty and Native Son, WIND OF THE SPIRIT is set during the prequel to the Revolutionary War, when Washington is gathering his troops, and the French is aligning with the Indians, and the British troops are coming into America.

A spy, Elizabeth Howard walks along completely free with the Loyalists, yet she is listening to every word they speak, and reporting the findings back to George Washington so he can make his plans accordingly. She is also being wooed by the handsome young doctor she assists, but she isn’t certain which side he’s really on. Is he a loyalist, or a Son of Liberty? Still, Elizabeth is reluctant to take him up on his offer to wed because she is still in love with Jonathan Carleton, who has vanished.

Jonathan has returned to his native roots and is now known as White Eagle. He is chief of a Shawnee Indian tribe, and leading attacks against settlers who enter the Indian territories of Ohio from Pennsylvania. A shaman is against White Eagle, arguing with him and discounting him on every turn, and White Eagle fears there will soon be an uprising. A widow, Blue Sky, considers him to be her future husband, and White Eagle is having trouble resisting her charms. After all, he’ll probably never see Elizabeth again.

When the British gets wind of Jonathan’s location, they set out to execute him for treason, but Elizabeth joins Colonel Charles Andrews to attempt and find Jonathan before the British. But is love able to bridge the gap that has distanced them, both physically and mentally?

I loved this series when it first came out, and was one of the reviewers who wrote the author asking about when the third book in the series would be coming out. I was so disappointed to hear that the contract had been cancelled and there would be no continuation in the story and I hated the way Jonathan and Elizabeth were separated at the ending of Native Son. But sometimes, the timing just isn’t right, and the book will make a stronger impact later. And that is the case with this book. As it has been some years since I read Daughter of Liberty and Native Son, it did take me awhile to remember what had happened in the previous books. But by the time I’d gotten to the middle of chapter two, I had recalled the previous two books and was ready to find out how WIND OF THE SPIRIT would end. It was equally fascinating to know that some of the areas I’d visited on our recent trip East this year were places written about in this story and I could see the forts – as I actually walked in some of them that were mentioned.

Don’t miss WIND OF THE SPIRIT, and if you did happen to miss the first two books they should be available on www.amazon.com or at www.cbd.com. $13.99. 368 pages.