Good morning, dear readers! Heather Miller is here to share an excerpt from her novel, 'Tho I Be Mute. You may remember her visiting before, with a snippet from Yellow Bird's Song. Based on a true story, Miller's novels dig into the history of the Ridge family and their removal from Cherokee Territory in the early 19th century.
Welcome, Heather!
~ Samantha
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'Tho I Be Mute: An Excerpt
Guest Post by Heather Miller
“Fly,” Clarinda Ridge Skili
I awoke to shaking floors from the successive beats of wooden-heeled boots against the hardwood. The vibrations were weighty, not the same as those made by my skinny brothers running through the house with calloused feet. The shakes came from intrusive brutes gathering strength from their unified purpose.
In our room, ten-year-old Susan woke and picked up a crying Flora from her pallet on the floor. She swayed with Flora, listening at the door. I rose and brought both to my bed. We scurried under the covers and curled into one another, while I held onto their shaking shifts. We were too frightened to go outside; we were too frightened to move anything more than our eyes, staring at the lighted gap under the door.
Susan’s body shook when bare feet followed the boots. The first were Mama’s. Another pair followed. My brother Rollin was at her heels.
Susan’s body jolted at another sound I couldn’t know. Then, she covered her face with the quilt and held it against her ears with her hands. She heard what I could not. Mama was screaming.
Susan’s first tear ushered in sobs when stillness and sunlight peered under the crack. ‘Tho I be mute, I knew then that more than the morning sun slid under our bedroom door. The Angel of Death arrived with no warning, like a Passover ghost, and cast us in mourning night with its light.
Papa flew to the Nightland, June 22, 1839. Twenty-five men drug him from his pallet on the floor and tried to kill him, but the gun misfired. So, they unsheathed their knives and drug him outside. Mama and Rollin ran after them, but the warriors, still wielding pistol and rifle, surrounded her and my brother, crossed the barrels, and held them back.
Mama’s hysterical tears did nothing to deter the assassins.
Clarinda faces a moment of profound reality—a rattlesnake bite, a harbinger of her imminent mortality—and undertakes an introspective journey. In her final days, she immortalizes not only her own story but that of her parents—a narrative steeped in her family’s insights into Cherokee heritage during the tumultuous years preceding the forced removal of Native communities.
In 1818, Clarinda’s father, Cherokee John Ridge, embarks on a quest for a young man’s education at the Foreign Mission School in Cornwall, Connecticut. Amidst sickness, he finds solace and love with Sarah, the steward’s quiet daughter. Despite enduring two years of separation, defamatory editorials, and societal upheaval due to their interracial love affair, the resilient couple weds in 1824. This marks the inception of a journey for Sarah as she delves into a world both cherished and feared—Cherokee Territory. As John Ridge advocates for the preservation of his people’s land and that of his Muskogee Creek neighbors against encroaching Georgia settlers and unscrupulous governmental officials, the stakes are high. His success or failure hinges on his ability to balance his proud Cherokee convictions with an intricate understanding of American law. Justice remains uncertain.
Grounded in a true story, ‘Tho I Be Mute resonates with a compelling historical narrative, giving an intimate voice to those heard, those ignored, those speechless, urging readers to not only hear but to truly listen.
Connect with the Author:
We all leave a legacy.
As an English educator, Heather Miller has spent twenty-four years teaching her students the author’s craft. Now, she’s writing it herself, hearing voices from the past. Heather earned her MFA in creative writing in 2022 and is teaching high school as well as college composition courses.
Miller’s foundation began in the theatre, through performance storytelling. She can tap dance, stage-slap someone, and sing every note from Les Miserables. But by far, her favorite role has been as a fireman’s wife and mom to three: a trumpet player, a future civil engineer, and a RN. Alas, there’s only one English major in her house.
Heather continues writing the Ridge Family Saga. Her current work-in-progress, Stands, concludes the Ridge Family Saga.
