The Wood's Edge by Lori Benton

At the wood's edge cultures collide. Can two families survive the impact?

The 1757 New York frontier is home to the Oneida tribe and to British colonists, yet their feet rarely walk the same paths.

On the day Fort William Henry falls, Major Reginald Aubrey is beside himself with grief. His son, born that day, has died in the arms of his sleeping wife. When Reginald comes across an Oneida mother with newborn twins, one white, one brown, he makes a choice that will haunt the lives of all involved. He steals the white baby and leaves his own child behind. Reginald's wife and foundling daughter, Anna, never suspect the truth about the boy they call William, but Reginald is wracked by regret that only intensifies with time, as his secret spreads its devastating ripples.

When the long buried truth comes to light, can an unlikely friendship forged at the wood's edge provide a way forward? For a father tormented by fear of judgment, another by lust for vengeance. For a mother still grieving her lost child. For a brother who feels his twin's absence, another unaware of his twin's existence. And for Anna, who loves them both--Two Hawks, the mysterious Oneida boy she meets in secret, and William, her brother. As paths long divided collide, how will God direct the feet of those who follow Him?

About The Author

Lori Benton was born and raised east of the Appalachian Mountains, surrounded by early American and family history going back to the 1600s. Her novels transport readers to the 18th century, where she brings to life the Colonial and early Federal periods of American history, creating a melting pot of characters drawn from both sides of a turbulent and shifting frontier, brought together in the bonds of God's transforming grace.

When she isn’t writing, reading, or researching 18th century history, Lori enjoys exploring the mountains with her husband.

Burning Sky, Lori's debut novel, was a finalist for the ECPA 2014 Christian Book Award, and winner of the 2014 Christy Award for First Novel, Historical, and Book of the Year. 

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My Review 

When I picked up this book, I realized that the setting is really my back yard. I grew up in Schenectady and now live up near Oneida NY on a farm, we have Iroquois burning pits on the back part of our land. So interesting!
The heart of this story is the distraught father, making a life changing, heart wrenching decision that changes the lives of many people. He takes his new born dead son and switches his body for a live baby that another woman had just give birth to. This woman is a white woman was married to an Indian, and one of her twin boys was white and the other favored his father.
This man pays a heavy price for his theft, but he loves the child and you find him trying to be a good father to both him and the little girl he rescued. The person who will find distasteful is the mother, who is really in the dark about the son she loves, but her treatment of Anna Catherine is not very nice. If she only knew, but I guess that wouldn’t have a happy ending either.
This book is packed with history about the founding of our Nation and those who were pro the Crown and those who were Patriots. The author has made these characters so real, with flaws we all have, but for the Grace of God. Love the finding of Faith of these people, filled with surprises how God works in their lives, and how they come to him.
This book has it all, including a bit of romance, fighting, healing, and the founding of the USA. I loved this read, and even at the end, I did want more, and there could be more answers here.
I received this book through Blogging for Books, and was not required to give a positive review.