You can tell Colleen French took an incredible amount of time to research the indigenous Delaware peoples as well as the different tribes along the eastern shore. As an indigenous woman (eastern band of Cherokee) I was overjoyed to see the native representation within her book. I adored the trans woman character (remember this was written in 1986!) and although some of the language was a bit dated, it did not diminish the love I felt for the characters or the story line. Very well written character arcs and a solid 2.5/5 for spiciness. Trigger warnings: slavery, indentured servitude, loss of a wife, loss of a child, attempted rape, burning down of a house, torture of prisoners, disease (small pox), murder, arranged marriage, purity culture, pregnancy, loss of sight, pedophilia (implied sex between a white man & young stable boy).