From Pulitzer Prize finalist Margaret Verble, a multilayered, wholly original epic of the American frontier   A baby, a black hired hand, a bay horse, a gun, and a neighbor have all gone missing in the same corner of the Cherokee Nation West. Cherokee America Singer, known as Check, is none too pleased with these developments. As a wealthy farmer, the mother of five boys, and the matriarch of her family, she’s accustomed to wielding authority. And she’s determined to find out what’s going on.             In the aftermath of the Civil War, complex alliances and simmering race and culture clashes unite and divide the people living on Cherokee lands. Tensions mount and violence escalates, and the long arm of white law encroaches further into Indian Territory. Determined to survive and thrive on their own terms after decades of betrayal and hardship, Check’s family, friends, and neighbors must come together to avenge a crime, outwit federal authorities, and protect their sovereignty.             Inspired by Margaret Verble’s family history and written with dry humor and a lot of heart, Cherokee America is a different kind of Western, one told from a Native American point of view and with a mixed-race woman at its center. Check—member of a distinguished Cherokee family, daughter of a famous soldier and a slaveholder, wife of an abolitionist—is a necessary, revelatory addition to the literature of the American frontier.   A  New York Times  Notable Book of 2019 ?"Verble has given historical fiction lovers a real gift: 'Cherokee America' is an excellent illustration of how diverse books enrich literature, and the minds of those who read them."-- New York Times Book Review “ Cherokee America does what all the best historical fiction does—it vividly captures its particular time and place, yet simultaneously offers valuable insights about our own era. Margaret Verble is an exceptional storyteller, and this novel will enhance her already considerable literary reputation.”— Ron Rash , author of Serena "Highly recommended for readers of literary historical fiction in the vein of Lalita Tademy's  Citizen's Creek  and Paulette Jiles's  News of the World ."-- Library Journal , STARRED review "In Verble’s hands, this tale of a mother’s love and her gritty resolve in a shameful era of false promises and broken treaties makes for a rich, propulsive novel."-- Publishers Weekly " An impressive, historical saga of Native American life in the mid-19th century."-- BookPage MARGARET VERBLE is an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation. Her first novel,  Maud’s Line,  was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Her second novel,  Cherokee America,  has recently been listed by the  New York Times  as one of the 100 Notable Books of the Year for 2019. She lives in Lexington, Kentucky.   Check had bought everything she'd come for, but frowned at her list and pursed her lips. She glanced at the scales on the counter. "I'll take another three pounds of coffee, Mr. Taylor.' She folded her paper to a square and slipped it into her skirt pocket. Focused on bolts of cloth over the merchant's head while he scooped the beans. The plinking of her purchase against the brass of the scales reminded her of hard rain on her tin roof. The sound provided some relief. Mr. Taylor tipped the scale. Slid the beans into a burlap sack atop ten pounds already purchased. He retied the string and set his hand on a large spool of twine. "What else, Mrs. Singer?" Check moved towards a barrel of nails. She should've brought Puny in with her. He'd know if they had enough. But she didn't want to take chances. She plucked a nail from the quarter circle holding the longest. "Give me five pounds of these, please.' She looked into the dark back of the store to avoid Mr. Taylor's eyes. He was a close friend of her husband's, and there wasn't anything to say about Andrew that hadn't already been said. Mr. Taylor came from behind his counter, scoop in one hand, burlap sack in the other. "If you need anything else, I'll have Jim bring it out to you." "Yes, I know, thank you.' Check moved away from the barrel and back to the counter. She ran her fingers over ridges of wear. Was thinking she'd never noticed them before when she caught a streak of light in the sides of her eyes. She turned as sunlight and a young man in a blue shirt burst into the store together. 'she's loaded, Aunt Check," he said. Check Singer was related to many people in the Nation. But not to that particular youth. His people, she thought, were from somewhere like Maryland, or maybe Vermont. Being called 'aunt' by anyone other than kin made her feel old. She responded, 'thank you. But I'm not your aunt, Jim." "No ma'am, Mrs. Singer. But she's loaded anyways.' Jim pressed his hands down the front of his pants. "I didn't mean disrespect." Check shook her head. She knew she was irritable. But words to tamp her reactions were dammed off inside her. She tried to soften her face with her eyes. She lik