The Blackwitch Moth and the Moonflower

By William Strubbe

"Is it possible that the soul of one of our people could be born into the body of a white person?" Royal Palm asked his father."If such a misfortune is possible," the chief replied, grimacing, "I pray to the Great Spirit that such tragedy will never happen to me." Determined to escape the confines of her familial duties in New England, headstrong Verdie Howe stowaways on board her father's schooner sailing to the promising, sunlit waters of the Florida Keys. Here, Verdie discovers a new life in the bustling, tropical island town of Key West in 1839. After the hurricane that destroys her father's ship, the unscrupulous salvage captain, Jacob Houseman, entices her father to his burgeoning empire on Indian Key, a tiny island 70 miles to the north. There, fifteen-year-old Verdie assumes the position of Post Mistress in the general store, while her father and brother scout the reefs for wrecked ships. The wise Dr. Perrine, a botanist knowledgeable in the ways of the Indians of the region, is the only voice of sympathy and reason amidst the growing tension as the last of the Caloosa Indians struggle to maintain their hold on the lands usurped by the increasing numbers of white settlers. In fulfillment of his recurring vision, Royal Palm, the eldest son of the great Caloosa cacique, Chekika, falls in love with Verdie during his ventures onto Indian Key and is determined to rescue her from the attack being planned by his father to wipe out the white devil Houseman and his settlement. Held captive in the vast expanse of the Everglades, the dignity and courage of this tribal remnant in hiding further endears Verdie of her captors and reluctantly she falls in love with Royal Palm. When her father eventually negotiates a ransom for her return, appalled by the murderous behavior of the whites, and the fact she is pregnant with Royal Palm's child, Verdie refuses to return to the "civilized" world and lives out her days in hiding with her adopted people. The unspoiled natural beauty of the Florida Keys and Everglades in the 1840's and the exotic flora and fauna of the land and sea form the backdrop to this highly researched historical novel. Royal Palm's manhood quest in his fifteenth year, the habits and customs of the Indians, the lucrative and fascinating salvaging business of the period, the devastating hurricane, the growing love between two young people from different worlds, the historical account of the attack on Indian Key in 1840, makes a fascinating and instructive tale for young adult readers, and adults alike.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1481269682
• ISBN13: 9781481269681
• Release Date: January 2013
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.71 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.4" x 6.0"