Wanders Far by David Fitz-Gerald

Publication Date: May 11, 2019

Outskirts Press

eBook, Paperback, AudioBook; 197 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

Wanders Far lived in dangerous times and was faced with one difficult challenge after another. He was a skinny, quiet boy who was raised on the banks of a tributary of New York State’s Mohawk River, hundreds of years before colonists arrived. One lifetime was not enough for Wanders Far’s old soul.

From a very young age, his wanderlust compelled him down one path after another. No village could contain him.

He was happy living a simple life in the physical world during challenging times. The spirit world had other plans.

A wise, enigmatic shaman mentored Wanders Far and helped him cultivate the supernatural visions that haunted him. His guide could only help him so far.

He set out to become a runner, carrying important messages across the lands of his people and their enemies. He ended up fulfilling a much greater destiny than he ever imagined.

"This engrossing, well-written novel tells the story of a pivotal moment in Iroquois history through a well-traveled protagonist." - Kirkus Reviews

REVIEW and MY THOUGHTS: 

I thoroughly enjoyed this amazing book by David Fitz-Gerald, Wanders Far - An Unlikely Hero's Journey. Reading this book felt to me like I was reading an epic adventure story, yet is told so brilliantly in just 187 pages. The genre of this book is Historical Fiction but has definite elements of the supernatural and also some suspense and mystery within the story. Though this is an Adult Fiction, those who enjoy Young Adult will definitely enjoy the themes in this book. The book certainly moved fast and followed the very exciting life of Wanders Far. The book is set in current day upstate New York in the beautiful Adirondack region. 

Right away you know that Wanders Far is a very special child. He has definite gifts of photographic memory and we realize that he is given a lot more gifts which will be important for their tribes and future survival. He is able to discern subtle differences in rocks and trees and will never get lost. At the young age of 8, Wanders Far travelled miles, and survived the dangers of the wild, not just from the natural elements and bears, but from neighboring enemy tribes. His gift of travelling to different areas easily and quickly, became the bridge to unify people. The art of storytelling is also a huge part of how information traveled between the tribes. His stories and adventures helped with this unification process. 

Wanders Far is from the Bear Clan Village of the People of the Flint (Mohawk tribe) that is lead by his mother, Bear Fat. The other tribes include Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga and Seneca which will eventually form The Iroquois (Confederacy of Five). Bear Fat is an amazing leader that thoughtfully leads her tribe fairly and democratically. 

Fitz-Gerald writes of a well researched novel in this beautifully imagined world full of interesting cast of characters, though it is centered around Wanders-Far. No detail is left out. Through reading this book, I became fully immersed in their day to day life and goings on. The story spanned from the year 1125 through about 1192. I enjoyed the beautiful detailed descriptions of the beauty of their surroundings as well as their long houses, their crafts and specialties independent of the tribes, their traditions and beliefs, the display of matriarchal democracy, and the importance of family bonding. Of course there are also a lot of adventures and difficulties when the tribes were warring with each other. Some of the lifestyle and the way of survival during the 1100's could be a bit graphic and at times even violent. 

If you enjoy learning about different cultures and enjoy stories about Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse or Geronimo, then Wanders Far is a definite must read for you. I am pleasantly surprised that I would enjoy this very much! The storytelling and immersion into the characters are brilliantly told and the story flowed very well for me. I highly recommend this book.

I received a copy of this book from the author and this review is voluntary. All opinions expressed are my own honest opinion.

Watch the Book Trailer HERE

About the Author

After a chaotic day as a business person, Dave enjoys getting lost in the settings he imagines and spending time with the characters he creates. Writing historical fiction is like making paintings of the past. He loves to weave fact and fiction together, stirring in action, adventure, romance, and a heavy dose of the supernatural with the hope of transporting the reader to another time and place. He is an Adirondack 46-er, which means he has hiked all of the highest peaks in New York State, so it should not be surprising when Dave attempts to glorify hikers as swashbuckling superheroes in his writing.

Wanders Far—An Unlikely Hero’s Journey is the first in a series of books in the Adirondack Spirit Series.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | BookBub | Instagram

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we are giving away a paperback copy of Wanders Far! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on October 28th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Paperback giveaway is open to the US only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.

Wanders Far