Blurb
Meet
Jesse Eastman, a young man from a powerful and wealthy American
family. When he joins a group of rough fur traders on a journey to
open up the American Northwestern Frontier, Jesse thinks his days are
numbered.
The
looming War of 1812 and a rugged farm woman from Upper Canada may
prove him right.
Zee
Collard and her father, George, are half-American, and half-Canadian.
They will stop at nothing to protect their livelihoods in Upper
Canada. The Collard's family history goes back to the Revolutionary
War and their past is not something many Americans are keen on.
Whichever
Way The Road Leads will pull you into the lives of two American
families on both sides of the border who struggle as war breaks out
in 1812. This engaging and graphic first book of The Eastman Saga
will take you through raging mountainous rivers and early
Northwestern Frontier landscapes to the bloody Niagara battlefields
of 1812.
Be
careful which road you take, you never know where it'll lead.
Excerpt
Jesse
walked confidently to the group as the man spoke commandingly to him
in the Arikaran language. Jesse looked at him in bewilderment.
“He
said that he would take everyone into the village and save our lives
in exchange for the bear pelt and the canoe,” the woman translated
slowly.
The
Arikara guard spoke again, quickly, almost jumbling over his words
with passion.
“He
also says that this is not a free stay. Everyone must work once they
are healthy enough.” The woman explained the rest of the agreement
and looked at Jesse for confirmation.
Jesse
looked back at the stranded Overland Astorian group. They were
probably three more days away from dying, he thought. Losing the bear
pelt was nothing, but the canoe would be a huge sacrifice. “Tell
him we will give him what he wants,” Jesse replied, rubbing his
long beard. “But he must allow us to rebuild a new canoe with the
surrounding trees. It is our only survival to return to St. Louis.”
The
woman frowned, turned to the Arikara guard, and relayed the message
in their native tongue.
The
Arikara man’s mouth frowned in deliberation. Then, a half smile
graced his face. He spoke rapidly to the woman, then turned to his
group of guards, gesturing for them to grab the canoe and bear fur.
They began approaching the Astorians as the native woman spoke to
Jesse. “They have agreed,” she translated, with a funny grin on
her face. “He also said that you are stupid and young.”
Jesse
laughed and patted her on the shoulder. “Thank you,” he said.
“You saved our lives.”
“No,”
she replied. “You did, Jesse.”
Review
by Lisabet Sarai
Jesse
Eastman is the scion of a wealthy Philadelphia family, but he doesn’t
see eye to eye with his parents. In an attempt to escape their
influence, he signs on to a perilous expedition exploring the wild
northwest frontier. He nearly loses his life as part of the Overland
Astorian band, but he gains experience in leadership and community.
Those experiences serves him well when he’s commissioned as an
officer in the War of 1812, which pits American soldiers against the
loyalist Canadians across the border.
Zelda
“Zee” Collard, eldest daughter of one of those loyalists, figures
she should have been born a boy. She’s much happier, not to mention
more useful, helping her father with their homestead, planting and
harvesting, building fences and caring for the animals than staying
in the house and doing “woman’s work”. Though she can’t
imagine marriage, her youthful desires lead her into a liaison with
the Collard’s farmhand. She’s not sure how she’ll manage. when
she discovers she’s pregnant as the result of that lapse. With her
father apparently lost in the battles with the Americans, her mother
stricken with grief, and her many siblings to care for, her own baby
seems like the least of her problems.
Jesse’s
and Zee’s paths converge when he commandeers the Collard farm as a
field hospital for wounded American soldiers. Though officially the
enemy, Jesse proves to be a thoughtful, honorable man who treats Zee
and the other Canadians humanely and with respect. Officially on
opposite sides of the conflict, the two young people share a
connection that gradually ripens into love.
Whichever
Way the Road Leads is the third historical novel I’ve read by
J.A. Boulet. I’ve enjoyed them all. The historical periods and
events she selects have all been new to me, so I’ve learned quite a
lot from her books. Meanwhile, her focus is always on the impact
historical events have on individuals and their lives. Indeed, as she
explains in the notes at the end of this book, she usually has a
personal connection to the places and events in her stories. In the
case of this book, she lives in the Niagara region of Canada, where
the Collards’ farm is located, and is surrounded by the monuments
and battlefields from the brief but bloody 1812 war.
The
characters in this novel are believable and engaging, especially Zee.
She’s brave, strong, and competent, but she doesn’t fit society’s
expectations for a woman. In particular, I found her hormone-driven
extramarital sex very realistic. I appreciate the way that she
handles the outcome without feeling overly guilty.
Here’s
a bit from early in the book, which will give you some idea why I
adored her.
Zee
stomped down the hallway toward the shouts coming from Jacob and Sam.
She opened the bedroom door and found the two four-year-olds crying
in pain and hugging their legs.
“I
hope my fence is not broken!” Zee yelled. “I swear I’ll skin
you alive if you damaged it. It took Papa and I the entire year to
build that.”
“Zee!”
Clara shouted from the kitchen.
Zelda
glowered at her twin brothers. “Let’s get washed up, you little
troublemakers.” She lifted the smaller one up onto her shoulder and
grasped the other boy’s hand. She looked down at the heavier twin,
Jacob. “What in God’s name were you doing?”
“Playing
war,” Jacob answered feebly.
“War
is not a game,” Zee responded, frowning. She placed the lighter boy
on the counter near the wash bin and started cleaning the scrapes on
his leg amidst howls of protest. “Sit still, Sam!”
Jacob
peered up at her. “Have you ever been to war?” he asked, rubbing
his mouth with the back of his grubby hand.
“Of
course not,” Zee replied. “I’m a girl.”
“Girls
aren’t allowed?”
“That’s
right, Jacob.”
“If
it was allowed for girls to go to war, would you?”
“Now,
what kind of question is that?” Zee asked in response.
“You’re
pretty good with a rifle, Zee,” Jacob answered, smiling with pride
at his eldest sister. “I’ve seen how you can shoot those cans.”
“That’s
just practice,” Zee responded.
“Practice
for what?”
“Nothing
and everything,” Zelda stated, getting increasingly annoyed. “It
doesn’t matter anyway because Ma and Pa want to marry me off so I
can have kids and cook bread for the rest of my life.”
The
twins broke into raucous flights of laughter. “You?”
Sam
shrieked. “Never!”
War
is not a game. This is the underlying message in Whichever Way the
Road Leads. Jesse and his comrades suffer terrible losses; Zee’s
mother succumbs to grief and despair while her father barely
survives. Ms. Boulet is not in the least bit judgmental, recognizing
that both sides in the conflict had grievances, but she shows very
clearly the costs.
I
gather that this novel is the first in a series that will feature
Jesse and Zee. I look forward to the next installment.
Amazon
buy link:
https://www.amazon.com/Whichever-Road-Leads-Eastman-Saga-ebook/dp/B0D4FCQ66D
Trailer:
https://youtu.be/_ULhoNshAF4
About
the Author
J.
A. Boulet is the passionate author of six historical fiction novels.
Raised in a Hungarian refugee family, J. A. was born and grew up in
Canada with a strong moral foundation, which she has stood behind all
her life. Ms. Boulet began writing poetry at a very young age and
progressed to short stories and novels easily. She quickly became a
history geek and became fascinated with ancestry and the rough path
of immigration. Her university studies ranged from photojournalism to
accounting. After decades of working in accounting, J. A. published
her first book in 2020 and has since published one to two books
annually.
She
lives in the Niagara region of Canada with her two sons, a crested
gecko, a large Doberdor dog, and a small orchard of fruit trees.
Follow
her on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Reddit.
Website:
https://jaboulet.ca/
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/love_walk_life
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/jabouletauthor/
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHyJHrncBj09F5119oxt6Vw
Reddit
link: https://www.reddit.com/user/NormalFemale
J.A.
Boulet will award a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn
winner.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
