Harvest Moon by Jenny Knipfer Read an Excerpt

Publication Date: 23rd November, 2020
Publisher: Independently Published
Series: By the Light of the Moon book #4 (although it is the fourth book, it works as a prequel for the first book, Ruby Moon)
Page Length: 291 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction / Christian Historical Fiction

Synopsis

In the wilds of 19th century Ontario, Maang-ikwe, a young Ojibwe woman, falls into a forbidden love, breaks her father’s honor, and surrenders her trust to someone who betrays it. The abuse she suffers divides her from her tribe and causes her to give up what she holds most dear. 

Niin-mawin must come to grips with his culture being ripped away from him. Brought up in a “white man’s” school, he suffers through an enforced “civilized” education and separation from his family. When a man he respects reveals a secret about Niin-mawin’s past, he embarks on a search for the person he hopes can mend the part of his heart that’s always been missing. 

Both Maang-ikwe and Niin-mawin wonder how a harvest of pain and sorrow will impact their lives. Will they find the blessings amongst the hardships, or will they allow the results of division and abuse to taint their hearts forever?

Fans of historical fiction, Native American fiction, Christian historical fiction, clean romance, and literary fiction will be moved by this deep, heartfelt novel.

Excerpt

Late August 1862
Nipigon Reservation

“Will you name him?”

Nimaamaa, my mother, crouches near me as I suckle my son. He is both my joy and my heartache. My shame and my pride. His eyes reflect my own, but his skin is light. Not the pale sickness of some white men but much lighter than my own. His dark hair grows thick on his little head and appears almost like winter frost has touched the ends.

What name do I give him? That should be his father’s job, his vision. I think hard. I don’t want to wait for a dream to come. I give him the name he came with.

Niin-mawin—I cry for him.

I think of how I sobbed when he was born. How I sobbed for Ignacio, for this little one, and for all I will lose.

I look at nimaamaa, my mother. Her eyes are soft towards me. They do not accuse me. I smooth back my son’s soft hair and hate that he will be mine for only a short while longer.

“I will call him Niin-mawin,” I tell her.

She doesn’t challenge me, and I am grateful.

“Who . . .?” she starts to ask.

I should name the one who took me as his wife, but he is gone.

Nothing can be done. I don’t want to say his name again or even think it. My blood boils in me when I remember his face before me, panting as he takes what is not his. I ignore her question as if I do not hear it. “You rest. I will fix the tea Wiineta gave me to make your milk flow.”

She rises and stokes the fire. I watch her as she puts more wood on top of the coals and reaches for an iron kettle, filling it with water from the storage barrel. She hangs the kettle on an iron tripod over the flames. She puts some dried herbs in a linen pouch in a metal cup. Her slow, even movements comfort me. Suddenly, a sharp pain lodges in my chest.

I will never tend my child this way.

After I’m done feeding him my milk, he will become another woman’s son. I cannot bear the thought; I shut my eyes tight to close it out. But it does not go away. It beats in my ears . . . a sad, sad song that will always be with me. This is what I will be left with instead of my own flesh and blood—a longing for what can never be.

Praise for Harvest Moon

“A moving and authentic work or historical fiction, while this series is a testament to Knipfer's skilled and versatile storytelling.” Self-Publishing Review

“Knipfer does an outstanding job of cementing place, time, and culture against the backdrop of evolving relationships.” D. Donavon for Midwest Book Review

Where to Purchase

Amazon AU • Amazon CA • Amazon UK • Amazon US

Meet the Author

Jenny lives in Wisconsin with her husband, Ken, and their pet Yorkie, Ruby. She is also a mom and loves being a grandma. She enjoys many creative pursuits but finds writing the most fulfilling.

Spending many years as a librarian in a local public library, Jenny recently switched to using her skills as a floral designer in a retail flower shop. She is now retired from work due to disability. Her education background stems from psychology, music, and cultural missions.
Her By the Light of the Moon series earned five-star reviews from Readers’ Favorite, a book review and award contest company. Their praise: “Ruby Moon is entertaining, fast-paced, and features characters that are real. Blue Moon continues a well-written and highly engaging saga of family ties, betrayals, and heartaches. Silver Moon is a highly recommended read for fans of historical wartime fiction, powerful emotive drama, and excellent atmospheric writing. Harvest Moon is probably one of the best historical fiction novels I have ever read. I have come away deep in thought, feeling somewhat like I’ve had a mystical experience and one I will never forget.”

She holds membership in the: Midwest Independent Booksellers Association, Wisconsin Writers Association, Christian Indie Publishing Association, and Independent Book Publishers Association.

Jenny’s favorite place to relax is by the western shore of Lake Superior, where her novel series, By The Light of the Moon, is set. She is currently writing a new historical fiction series entitled, Sheltering Trees. The first title in that series, In a Grove of Maples,—inspired by the lives of her grandparents in the late 1890’s—is slated for fall of 2021.

Connect with Jenny: Website • Twitter • Facebook • Instagram

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