Daughter of Warriors, by Kimberly Kirkland Seidman

“As haunting as it is beautifully written, this sweeping yet intimate story of a woman’s love and loss in a world that both envied and shunned her is at once heartbreaking and triumphant—a moving testament to the imperfect resilience of the human spirit.” — PAUL MARGOLIS, AUTHOR, SCREENWRITER, AND PRODUCER

Lucy Eagleton is a “Daughter of Warriors,” but even the strongest Osage lineage cannot shield her from the evils the white conquerors brought to them: deadly disease, the atrocities of indian boarding schools, and the Osage Reign of Terror. With oil gushing from their reservation land in Oklahoma, her people become the targets of a murderous conspiracy born of white greed. As she inherits seven headrights—a fortune that makes her one of the wealthiest people in the country—Lucy watches as her family and friends are killed.

Seeking sanctuary in 1920s Kansas City, Lucy marries Edward Walsh, an Irish lawyer who promises protection amidst the city’s thriving jazz scene and the powerful Pendergast political machine. But safety is an illusion, and the shadows of Oklahoma follow her, claiming those she loves and threatening her young daughter, Nevie. Caught between her spiritual heritage and the sophisticated wickedness of a world that views her as a “savage,” Lucy must make an agonizing choice to ensure her daughter’s survival.

In this gripping tale of loss and legacy, one woman must navigate the quicksand of corruption and bigotry to protect her heritage—and her child.

“…Seidman’s meticulous prose balances [a young Osage woman’s] compelling and disturbing history with heartbreaking melodrama…A small but diverse cast of secondary characters—Osage, white, and Black—add elements of joy to this compelling, if painful, historical drama with…[its] strong female protagonist.” — Kirkus Reviews