Tho I Be Mute
By Heather Miller
Home. Heritage. Legacy. Legend.
In
1818, Cherokee John Ridge seeks a young man’s education at the Foreign Mission
School in Cornwall, Connecticut. While there, he is overcome with sickness yet
finds solace and love with Sarah, the steward’s quiet daughter. Despite a
two-year separation, family disapproval, defamatory editorials, and angry mobs,
the couple marries in 1824.
Sarah reconciles her new family’s spirituality
and her foundational Christianity. Although, Sarah’s nature defies her new
family’s indifference to slavery. She befriends Honey, half-Cherokee and
half-African, who becomes Sarah’s voice during John’s extended absences.
Once arriving on Cherokee land, John argues to
hold the land of the Cherokees and that of his Creek neighbors from encroaching
Georgian settlers. His success hinges upon his ability to temper his Cherokee
pride with his knowledge of American law. Justice is not guaranteed.
Rich with allusions to Cherokee legends, ‘Tho I
Be Mute speaks aloud; some voices are heard, some are ignored, some do not
speak at all, compelling readers to listen to the story of a couple who heard
the pleas of the Cherokee.
John Ridge, or Skahtlelohskee, is a Cherokee pursuing an education to become a lawyer when he falls ill. He is taken to the steward’s house to recover, where he meets Sarah Bird Northrup. Sarah, feeling sorry for the boy brought into her house, shivering and in pain, sits with him to ensure he does not grow worse. As he slowly regains his strength, Sarah continues to visit him, and friendship blossoms between them.
When Sarah and John announce that they wish to marry, they are met with opposition and anger. There are very few who would bless the marriage between a Cherokee and a white woman. Nevertheless, love prevails, and John takes Sarah back to his home.
This novel was utterly entrancing. The style of writing is incredibly detailed and it is almost as if every word has been selected carefully, to fit in the sentence and create a lyrical style of prose. I loved John and Sarah, although I think I preferred the chapters with either them both or just Sarah to the ones with just John. John is fighting to protect both Cherokee and Creek land from Georgians who want to buy it and drive them out, but there are those who oppose him and he has a difficult time succeeding in his task. John’s chapters are incredibly interesting, as they follow the history of what happened in these areas, although I found my attention waning slightly when reading them. I am sure this is purely my own perspective, but I much preferred reading about Sarah and how she adjusted to her new home.
Another character I absolutely adored was Honey. Honey is a slave girl on John’s parent’s land, but John’s mother treats her more like a daughter. She is incredibly smart for such a young girl and she grows close with Sarah. Honey doesn’t get the love that she needs and deserves from her father, and her relationships with John’s mother and Sarah provide her with some much-needed love and support.
I loved reading this book and it taught me a lot about Cherokee customs and ways of living that I had never even thought to consider before. I have never read a book written in such a beautifully poetic style before, and with this being my first one book set in this era about these people, I don’t think any others would live up to my now incredibly high expectations.
Tho
I Be Mute is avaliable to purchase on Amazon.
Heather Miller
As an English educator, Heather Miller has spent twenty-three years teaching her students the author’s craft. Now, she is writing it herself, hearing voices from the past.
Miller’s foundation began in the theatre, through performance storytelling. She can tap dance, stage-slap someone, and sing every note from Les Misérables. Her favorite role is that of a fireman’s wife and mom to three: a trumpet player, a future civil engineer, and a future RN. There is only one English major in her house.
While researching, writing, and teaching, she is also working towards her M FA in Creative Writing. Heather’s corndog-shaped dachshund, Sadie, deserves an honorary degree.
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Thank you to The Coffee Pot Book Club for giving me the opportunity to read this book.
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