As Pocahontas was to Jamestown and Sacajawea was to the Lewis and Clark expedition, so was Mary Musgrove to General James Oglethorpe and the burgeoning Georgia colony. Not much has been written about one of the leading characters in the founding of Georgia, but now Pamela Bauer Mueller, author of five books for young people, introduces AN ANGRY DRUM ECHOED: Mary Musgrove, Queen of the Creeks. This historical novel, due out in September, tells a fascinating story that’s sure to capture readers’ attention. Born “Coosaponakeesa” to a Creek mother and an English father about 1700, Mary Musgrove successfully lived in two very different worlds: the Indian and the English. Through her influence with the Indian tribes, Mary encouraged the chiefs to meet with Oglethorpe in Savannah, leading to the peaceful establishment of an English colony in Indian Territory. Although she won the esteem of the English settlers, she eventually became a thorn in the side of the newly formed colonial government. After ten years without pay for her diplomatic and interpretive services, she led her Creek tribesmen in a relentless march through the streets of Savannah to demand justice. Mary Musgrove triumphed over savage discrimination, unimaginable personal adversity and an unrequited love for the founder of Georgia. As General Oglethorpe’s interpreter and emissary to the Indians, she smoothed the path to cooperation between the Creeks and the colonists, perhaps single-handedly insuring the survival of the colony of Georgia. Arguably the most important woman in the history of Georgia, Mary Musgrove guided the Creek nation through the treacherous waters of international intrigue during the dramatic conquest of a hemisphere. "An Angry Drum Echoed" is a recipient of the prestigious gold Mom's Choice Award. The Mom's Choice Awards honors excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. An esteemed panel of judges includes education, media and other experts as well as parents, children, librarians, performing artists, producers, medical and business professionals, authors, scientists and others. A sampling of the panel members includes: Dr. Twila C. Liggett, Ten-time Emmy-winner, professor and founder of Reading Rainbow; Julie Aigner-Clark, Creator of Baby Einstein and The Safe Side Project; Jodee Blanco, New York Times Best-Selling Author; LeAnn Thieman, Motivational speaker and coauthor of seven Chicken Soup For The Soul books; Tara Paterson, Certified Parent Coach, and founder of the Mom's Choice Awards. Parents and educators look for the Mom s Choice Awards seal in selecting quality materials and products for children and families. This book/product has been honored by this distinguished gold award. --Mom's Choice Awards "Georgia's own Pocahontas" helped settlers and Native Americans get along in peace. Especially good for middle and older readers. --Atlanta Journal Constitution Readers may have little background knowledge of this woman and the times in which she lived, but the careful description of the Creek culture and the accounts of the difficulties of the early settlements provide a wealth of information about the life of a remarkable woman and the beginning of a new nation. Recommended for junior/senior high school students. --Janis Flint-Ferguson, Assoc. Prof., English, Gordon College, Wenham, MA/KLIATT, January 1, 2007 Readers may have little background knowledge of this woman and the times in which she lived, but the careful description of the Creek culture and the accounts of the difficulties of the early settlements provide a wealth of information about the life of a remarkable woman and the beginning of a new nation. Recommended for junior/senior high school students. --Janis Flint-Ferguson, Assoc. Prof., English, Gordon College, Wenham, MA/KLIATT, January 1, 2007 "Georgia's own Pocahontas" helped settlers and Native Americans get along in peace. Especially good for middle and older readers. --Atlanta Journal Constitution Mary Musgrove's life was as dramatic and colorful as any fictional character, yet she was a real flesh-and-blood woman. I couldn't have invented for her a life this dynamic and unforeseen. Yet these qualities are only part of what makes her the most interesting and courageous woman in early Georgia history. Despite her important historical status and larger-than-life accomplishments, she remains virtually unknown to most Georgians outside a small group of scholars. Her life was filled with contradictions: born into a Creek society built on pagan customs, she later associated with British luminaries and Oxford graduates, including the famous Christian missionaries Charles and John Wesley. Mary Musgrove's story is scattered through voluminous letters, diaries and journals: official documents of the Colonial period. But very little is known about her childhood and parentage. Searching deeper for her story, I was pleasantly surprised to find pieces of her inside my own heart. Mary's story be