As the Willow Bends

Life is hard enough growing up Odawa in the middle of the twentieth century, but when you are nineteen and discover that what you thought was your life story isn’t, the shock can be devastating.


Tehya reacts as any young adult might, demanding answers to the questions that have haunted her most of her life. She struggles to find her way back to the truth she believed was hers forever.


Beginning with an indigenous people living near what today is called Lake Michigan, this sweeping historical novel celebrates the wisdom of Indian culture while lamenting lost love, injustice, and death.

In addition to Tehya, this is a story of Hands at Work, known by all as Naukee; Faces West, known by all as Lenaya; and other strong Indian women. All of them share a noble heritage with links and ties to ancient warriors, chieftains, healers, treaty signers, and more recent public servants.


It is a story woven with threads of family ancestry, survival, and resilience borne of the willow. The voices speak heart-rending truths about how two races of people came face-to-face, forced to learn how to live together within boundaries – often amid forces beyond their control.