by Joanne Kirkland

Growing up with the knowledge of Indian heritage, but not any factual details, my imagination flourished. Dreams of being princess, daughter of the chief, filled these dreams. A love of Indian history also developed. As years passed it was my joy to visit the area where this family story unfolded and study more of the traditions and customs of the tribe called Osage. I began to write these stories down, tell them to my students, and dream of writing the great American Indian story. It is fiction, but seems to be a real part of my life because of this enduring dream. In Rachael, we are in Pocahontas, Arkansas, meeting a family at its very beginning. Their story is the story of a blending of two nations-two races-at a time when this was not an acceptable practice. Ian, a trader from Ireland, and Ray of Sun (Rachael), a young Indian girl, are together, blending as best they can their cultures. To Rachael's pain, she feels she has lost touch with all that was dear to her. Her love for her husband and for her family comes to a crisis because she is driven to reconnect. Add a child to the mix, a long, bitterly cold winter, and a trip to Ireland for Ian, and you will have a heartwarming story that you will not want to see end.