In the beautiful Puget Sound valley, there are bones beneath our feet . . . BONES BENEATH OUR FEET is the lively historical epic tale of the conquest of the Natives of Puget Sound by the "Boston" tribe. Focused on the period from 1844-1858, BONES BENEATH OUR FEET explodes with political intrigue, stormy intermarriage, misunderstanding and fear, sudden massacres, tender mercies, greed and sacrifice, trials of law and of spirit, open warfare and martial law, funerals and tears. This astonishing tale resonates powerfully even today: though the gravestone of Chief Leschi, leader of the Native cause, reads: "LESCHI - Judicially Murdered Feb. 19, 1858," in 2004 Leschi's name was cleared by a special Historical Court of Inquiry headed by the Chief Justice of the Washington Supreme Court. This is not just a native story. It is the story of all Americans who live on this beautiful land - a story for all who are passionate about tolerance, dignity and liberty.
“[A] powerful and deeply moving historical novel . . .. This story is a gripping one and beautifully written with vivid descriptions of the landscape that we all love. The characters, both historical and created, come alive as they fight and love throughout this big book. . . . I highly recommend Bones Beneath Our Feet to all who love the land and its history as well as those who love a damn good story with fine writing.”
~ J. Glen Evans, Author
“Michael Schein’s novel, Bones Beneath Our Feet, does for the Pacific Northwest what Nathaniel Philbrick did for the East Coast in Mayflower. The history of First People and Boston tribes in the Puget Sound is meticulously researched and brought to life with sensitive depictions and dialog that reads itself from the page. . . . Huge numbers of characters people the pages yet somehow are never confusing, all seeming like old friends when they reappear. Each voice is convincingly given its say with multiple points of view building up to a well-rounded depiction of trust betrayed, communication found wanting, and hope misplaced. But the deepest hopes are reserved for a land that is never truly owned. Their bones still lie beneath our feet, and forest and stream will never belong to us; they’re just on loan.”
~Sheila Deeth, Gather.Com
“One of the best historical novels I've read yet. The characters engaged me from the beginning. I learned so much about this area of the country. You must read this book. I still see the boy trying to keep his disturbed mother from jumping out her bedroom window. Excellent book.”
~ Ann Hite, Goodreads