A Cackling of Words

For teenager Phillip Jones, being himself in the late 1700’s while living in Pennsylvania meant punishment by death. When he confided his inner most secret to his favorite sibling, she betrayed him to their parents. The decision was made to send Phillip away to work on a trading ship headed for the west coast of Vancouver Island so he could find himself and become what was considered normal in the eyes of his mother and father. There, in a quiet little cove while the ship was anchored to do maintenance before heading to the Orient, Phillip met an indigenous young male who befriended him. They strike up a bond and fall in love, leaving Phillip with no choice but to abandon his ship and live with the First Peoples who had resided in that region for thousands of years. 

Phillip was accepted for who he was by the Poposaht tribe while learning their customs and respecting the land that gave them life. There were trials and tribulations and moments when he wondered if he had made the right decision. Would his new life last forever and did a white raven provide him all the answers? Also, unbeknownst to Phillip, his mother and sister embark on their rescue mission which will bring disaster, love and heartbreak to the women as they travel through the perilous Strait of Magellan and head north to the wilds of the Pacific Northwest. 

A Cackling of Words explores the differences between two cultures and what was tolerated and what was not. 

Read the excerpt here

Available for purchase here