September Dawn

by C.W. Schutter and Christopher Cain

Emily, the daughter of a Christian pastor, and Jonathan, the son of a Mormon Bishop fall in love in the midst of an atmosphere of fear and hatred. It was a love so wonderful, it refused to die. A story so shocking, it struggled to be told. An act so atrocious, it was shrouded in secrecy.Forced to choose between his brother, his family, and his faith, or Emily, Jonathan is faced with a decision that will haunt him for the rest of his life.ByCarole...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0615940986
• ISBN13: 9780615940984
• Release Date: December 2013
• Publisher: River Ranch
• Length: 228 Pages
• Weight: 0.89 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.5" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

WOW

After reading the book September Dawn, by Carole Whang Schutter I find myself mystified and horrified by the events in the book. Although a work of fiction, many of the events, people, accounts, meetings, and speeches were based on actual events. The early Mormon religion and its followers slaughtered innocent women, men, and children, all in the name of God. How misled they were. It is eerily haunting how the events of this account happened on September 11th, 1857: a reminder of another horrific act of terrorism in our beloved country that was to occur 144 years later. I find the act of using God, in any form or religion, to further such brutality as this cowardly. It is not in God's name to do such things, and it only brings shame to those who choose to do it. I am ashamed to admit, but readily do, that I knew nothing of the Mountain Meadow Massacre before reading this book. This was a very well written and researched book. I found the plot flowed well, and was not difficult in any form to follow. The characters, every single one, were believable and relatable. The way the author chose to jump from character story telling to the events was a superb decision and only added to the assault on my emotions. The only fault I can find with this book is the terrible and overwhelming sadness it left me with.

From J. Kaye's Book Blog

The Fancher-Baker wagon train travels from Arkansas and Missouri through Utah on their way to California. They'd stopped to rest their cattle and horses in a valley called Mountain Meadows. Little did they know, this valley is within the Iron County Military District of the Nauvoo Legion, the popular designation for the militia of the Utah Territory. The author goes to great lengths detailing the hostility of the Mormon people towards the citizens of Missouri as well as the federal government, giving the reader a glimpse into the mindset of the characters. In the middle of this aggression romance blossoms between the son of a Mormon Bishop and the daughter of a Christian pastor. Both believe in true love and its power to overcome all obstacles giving the story a western day Romeo and Juliet feel. Based on actual events, "September Dawn" is politically and emotionally charged. In the author's note, Carole Whang Schutter says "Every major world religion has bloodied its hands because people are flawed. Through the ages, religious radicals have justified horrific deeds by piously announcing that their crimes against humanity were done in the name of God." I couldn't agree more. "September Dawn" is also on DVD. If you like the Hallmark channel, which I do, you'll enjoy both the book as well as the movie. If possible, read the book first and then watch the movie.

Forbidden love, horrible atrocities, and the power of forgiveness

A novel of forbidden love, fanatical beliefs, and forgiveness, "September Dawn" by Carole Whang Schutter is a story that will stay with you long after you've read the last page. Two nineteen-year-olds brought up with very different sets of beliefs fall in love, and nothing--not religion, not their families, not threat of danger--can keep them apart. Fifty years after the Mountain Meadows Massacre, the present day family sits down to retell the love story of Jonathan Samuelson and Emily Hudson. Jonathan is the son of a Mormon bishop, and Emily, the daughter of a Christian pastor. They are drawn together from the moment they meet, but suspicious and vengeful church leaders lead a massacre that forever separates the two lovers, and somewhere in the distant future, someone must learn to forgive what happened on that fatal day in September. Traveling through different periods of time was the most challenging part of reading "September Dawn". The story begins fifty years after the date of the Mountain Meadows Massacre, but quickly goes back to two weeks before the massacre occured to show the reader how the people of the wagon train met up with the Mormons in Utah. The story continues to travel through time, going back and forth between present day and the two weeks the wagon train remained Utah, and moving further back in time to earlier dates important in Mormon Church history to provide the reader with a well-rounded idea of how the Church was formed and what led to the Mormons' distrust of the Gentiles. With all this backstory, it is easy to lose the true focus of the novel--which is the unfolding relationship between Jonathan and Emily. I believe this format is much better suited to the film version of this story where the visual aspect of events can help keep the viewer involved. Once the backstory was out of the way, "September Dawn" engaged me so deeply that I never wished to put it down. And the ending was so moving and unexpected, that I couldn't help but cry. Overall, this is an excellent read. As a lover of history, I enjoyed getting that full picture of what led up to the Mountain Meadows Massacre, but the parts I enjoyed most dealt with Jonathan and Emily's fierce love for one another that survived many years after the horrible events that separated them. With "September Dawn" Carole Whang Schutter brings you a love story that surpasses all odds and touches upon the power of forgiveness.

History, suspense, drama, love, and good writing rolled into one

From the Author's Notes with its chronicling of the long and impressive list of sources used in the writing, through the building suspense and drama, to the beautiful depiction of unconditional love in the face of evil, this book kept me spellbound. As the author of Direction: Discernment for the Decisions of Your Life, I was especially interested in the core values the emigrants relied upon when instinct took over- core values that helped them to hold onto love and to offer forgiveness when others might have given into the pull of hatred and religious fanaticism. September Dawn is a must read for anyone who cares about America today, who knows that we are destined to repeat history unless when learn from it, and who see the signs of religous war in our current world. We'd all be served well if we could learn to love and forgive as this book gives testiment, for it is trustworthy that true love casts out all fear and hatered- fear and hatred of all kinds.

The Crime of the Century

SEPTEMBER DAWN by Carole Whang Schutter, a historical novel, is a riveting portrayal of the Mountain Meadows Massacre, "the first act of religious terrorism in the United States". Eerily having occurred on September 11, only 150 years ago, it will, for the first time, be released under the same title as a Hollywood style feature film. Having co-written the screenplay with director Christopher Cain, Schutter showcases an extensive historical knowledge in the telling of her story. As a result, "SEPTEMBER DAWN", the movie, will not be your stereotypical Hollywood hype flick. My great great grandfather was the Mormon bishop of Cedar City, Utah in 1857 and whose character is played by Jon Voight in the film. He was a participant in the massacre, a crime which is said to have "disgraced humanity". My grandmother told me of it 43 years ago with tears in her eyes and since, I've been obsessed with discovering the facts of it.... facts which powerful forces have worked very hard to keep covered. Schutter uses a fictional love story and a novel format to place the reader at the scene of what was, without overstating, the crime of the century. This takes nothing away from the authenticity of the event, or from the responsibility assigned to those an honest history would implicate. Neither does she shrink from hard hitting depictions of the horrid details, or from illuminating the role played by the then theocratic Mormon church. In so doing, she honors the victims and descendants of this horrific transgression. She honors American History. Perhaps most importantly, she honors the truth. If you want to be fascinated by a historical episode of monumental importance, as it is accurately protrayed by SEPTEMBER DAWN, the movie, then treat yourself to a thrilling page turner in SEPTEMBER DAWN, the book. Reviewed by Wayne Atilio Capurro Author: WHITE FLAG: America's First 9/11