Proving Her Claim: On the Dakota Frontier

Proving Her Claim: On the Dakota Frontier

The Civil War created countless spinsters and widows. Anna Olson was one of them. With no prospects for marriage and family, Anna pins her future on the frontier and heads west to stake a claim on the wide-open prairies. “Most women go from their father’s house to their husband’s house,” Anna said. “Here, I have my own house. I am my own person.” But the Dakota Plains are not empty. Anna’s new life collides with a Lakota warrior. Two Hawks MacKenzie, the son of a Scots fur trapper and a Lakota woman, takes an unusual interest in his new neighbor. In turn, Anna begins to the see the land through the eyes of the Lakota people. Together, they forge a bond that could connect their two worlds – despite prejudice and intolerance they encounter. Romance, adventure and history – a trifecta! If you liked the television series 1883 and Yellowstone , you’ll love Proving Her Claim, the debut novel from author CK Van Dam. CK Van Dam a daughter of the Dakota prairies. With degrees in History and Journalism, she has embarked on a second career to create stories about the strong women who have built our nation and our world. Will Anna successfully claim a piece of the new western lands? Will Anna and Two Hawks be able to blend their two worlds? Pick up your copy today by clicking the BUY NOW button at the top of this page and immerse yourself in the Dakota Frontier. I have always been an avid reader. I love historical fiction but felt burned out on my reads as of late. This book held my interest from the beginning and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you Ms Van Dam for a really good book. This is the story of one adventurous and beautiful young woman that moves from a comfortable life with her parents on their dairy farm. She takes advantage of the free land grant and becomes a homesteader. She finds her neighbors are a tribe of Lakota. Anna meets a handsome Lakota brave and eventually falls in love with him and he with her. They both believe their two world can not come together as one people. Bandits, on the run, take Anna hostage after robbing the local bank and Joe, their neighbor and friend along with Two hawks rescue her. You will enjoy discovering how they find their happily ever after. This tale held my interest from start to finish and I think you will enjoy it too. I enjoyed this book for many reasons, not the least of which is that it was written from a woman's perspective. I found CK VanDam's novel to be an insightful look into a little-known factor of "How the West Was Won." Women worked hard, alone or along-side their men, and the fact that they were more successful at sticking to their claims (as a percentage to men) is not to be overlooked. They plowed fields, prayed for rain, cooked over a fire, lived in sod houses, harvested natural bounty, bore and raised children, milked the cows, practiced healing arts, and learned how to get along with others, including Native Americans. It wasn't all gunfights....fighting nature, and fighting human nature were just as powerful opponents as the marauding gangs that robbed banks and ran roughshod over the law at that time. There's a little bit of everything in this lovely look at a woman alone on the Dakota Prairie, proving her claim, and proving to herself that she could be independent and choose her own way of life. If you liked "Sweet Land" I think you'll enjoy this book as well. LOVED this book! Very interesting, educational and fun to read! I loved this book, could not put I down. I hope this author has more book to read! Great job! I really enjoyed this homesteading history, as well as the mix of Indians. The love that grew between the two main characters, was tactfully written steamy with out too much detail. Was the perfect book to read during a North Eastern snowstorm. I'd love to know of more titles written by CK Van Dam. CK Van Dam is a daughter of the Dakota prairies. With degrees in History and Journalism from South Dakota State University, she has embarked on a second career to create stories about the strong women who have built our nation and our world. Proving Her Claim is CK Van Dam's debut novel. She is currently working on the story of another pioneer woman in Dakota Territory