Chosen by visions of an ancient chief, Asku must grow from a boy who sees the past into a leader who can guide his people into an uncertain future.
Along the wild Columbia River, floods, strangers, and shifting power threaten the balance that has endured for generations.
To protect his people and their way of life, Asku must carry the wisdom of the ancestors into a changing world.
For My People
Book 1
“Awacha náy! This is the way it was.”
Asku, destined to be chief, has always seen what others cannot—visions of Saigwan, the ancient chief during the age of ice and speartooth.
The river flows with life and danger alike, and the balance of his people’s survival rests in his hands.
The year is 1790, in places where time matters …
“Awacha náy! This is the way it was,” the old man said, his voice carrying like wind over the river. The children answered in unison, “Íi!”—but Asku did not.
Asku could not.
Destined to be chief of the Patisapatisháma, Asku has always been different. Since childhood, visions of Saigwan, the ancestor chief from the age of ice and speartooth, have come to him—teaching, warning, and guiding him in ways the other children could never understand. While they could sit and listen to the stories, Asku lived them, carrying the weight of a legacy older than memory itself.
One truth is certain: Saigwan has chosen him. But why? What do the ancestors demand? And when the time comes to take his place among the chiefs, will Asku be ready?
Long before dams, canneries, and explorers charted these waters, people had lived along the Columbia River for thousands of years. From mountain to sea, life flowed with the river’s rhythm, and the delicate balance of power, trade, and survival held communities together.
But change is coming, and the river—and the world of Asku and his people—will never be the same.
Reviews ☺️📚
A writer this coachable is one for readers to watch, and editors to treasure. I think her characters are a bit better than those in the O’Gear books, on a par with Shuler’s. That’s the league I see Heidi playing in. And she has it set up masterfully for a sequel.
–JK Kelley The Lancer Blog
Ennis has done a good deal of anthropological research and supplies a glossary of terms and titles for readers confused by the immersion technique of her story proper, and that story is ultimately quite gripping and involving, the story of a world both alien and strangely familiar.
–Joanna Urquhart The Historical Novel Society
Overall this was a delightful read. Any book really that can start to make me cry I think is a pretty powerful one, because that’s not an easy task. Interestingly enough the end of the book is probably my favourite part, because it gave me just a hint, a little flavour for what would come next in Asku’s life, and honestly I don’t know what I want more; Ennis to make a sequel or not, because I think leaving the ending hanging just a bit is a fantastic way to leave a story, because it lets you imagine the story from that point onward, making it a book that keeps on giving.
–Lilaina Osbourn On Writing Blog
This book touches something ageless in the depth of my heart. It spans the First Nations history along the Columbia River for a millennium, when ancient chiefs come to speak in visions to the young boy destined to be a leader of his people. It you’ve read Clan of the Cave Bear, and other books by Jean M. Auel, then you’ll love this author’s series too. I recommend this authentic historical novel!
–Jane
The Spirit of the River
Book Two
The river is not as it once was…
Against floods, strangers, and visions of the past, one man must protect his people—never alone, with brave friends and a daughter ready to carry the legacy forward.
Before dams, railroads, and cities, the Columbia River ran free, carving its path through untamed wilderness. Along its banks, people survived through a careful balance of power, trade, and alliance. Yet change pressed hard against the current, threatening to upend the rhythm that had endured for generations.
No one understood this better than Askuwa’tu. Raised as a chief’s son, he learned early that many watched the Patisapatisháma, hoping to claim a fragment of their power near the trading village of Wayám. Now chief himself, Asku bears the heavy burden of protecting his people. Through visions and the wisdom of Saigwan, an ancient chief, he witnesses the trials of those who came before: floods, ice, and the relentless shaping of the river itself.
Then, into Asku’s world comes a young wanderer named Henri, carrying little more than a wool blanket, his British musket “Old Bess,” and a pouch of tobacco. The solitude of the Northwest has only begun to heal him—but meeting the chief of the Patisapatisháma will change his life forever.
On November 15, 1805, the Corps of Discovery passes through Wayám, stirring uncertainty along the river. White men move with unknown intent, and the balance of power, trade, and survival teeters on the edge.
Asku will be called to sacrifice all he holds dear. The survival of his people—and the legacy of the Great River—rests in his hands.
Some Reviews ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The characters in this series are strong, loyal, faithful. The stories handed down from the ancient ones are so well told, funny, thought provoking and always have a moral or a point. I know at some point I will reread this, it was that good! Kudos to the author for a well written story that grabs your attention and holds it to the last page, while you wish there was at least two or three more chapters. I would highly recommend this series.
–Alicia
Wow! This is by an exceptional historical author. She must have done a ton of research to write this book. I felt like I had moccasins on the whole journey I walked with the tribe’s people! I felt my spirit stand tall. The deep connection to nature and the spiritual ties to ancestral relatives were painted in detail giving this very story authenticity. And as I have hunted and skinned out moose on my own in the north, it dawned on me that violence against an enemies was only a natural extension to hunting, to warn, protect and provide safety for the people. It was a brutal world, but the author captured the tribal loyalty to the chief and his family with such endearing characters! Then the climax makes this historical book one to be remembered!
–Jane