Publisher's Synopsis
Before Fallen Timbers takes readers down the Wilderness Road, over the Shawnee Warpath, onto the Bloody Ground of Old Kentucky, the trails of old Virginia and the entire Old Northwest of the American Frontier.
Told largely through the eyes of the captive Flynn children who were carried off in a Shawnee raid, the tale provides glimpses into the lives of both the famous and forgotten: settlers, voyageurs, traders, scouts, Shawnee allies and enemies, early German weapons manufacturers, plantation owners, and those who make up the newly formed Legion of the United States under General "Mad Anthony" Wayne.
Separated early in their captivity, the captives become part of new clans and families filled with colorful characters of the frontier including Daniel Boone, Anne Bailey, Tecumseh, Simon Girty, and many other unforgettable figures of American history .
Much of the story belongs to eldest daughter, Polly Flynn, left behind during the raid.
The heartaches and triumphs of the young protagonists play out against a backdrop of competing cultures clashing and combining as young America feels her growing pains.
Hidden histories come to light, including that of the formation of the Legion of the United States--the young America's first army, a response in part to losses such as St. Clair's Defeat, one of the worst defeats ever suffered by the US army, and the largest victory ever won by American Indians.
