Author: Samantha Specks 

Samantha Specks, author of Dovetails in Tall Grass, works as a clinical social worker. She enjoys drinking tea while reading a good book or watching television with her dog. This is her first novel. She lives with her husband and new baby girl in Texas, but longs to be in her home state, Minnesota. (2021, p.305)

The book flashes back and forth between two diametrically opposite main characters and their coming of age in the early to mid 1800’s. Both are young women on the cusp of womanhood. One is Emma Heard who is the daughter of a self-made lawyer and the other is Oenikika. Oenikika is the daughter of Chief Little Crow and a member of the Dakota tribe in Minnesota. Their stories sort of run in parallel with the exception of a young missionary man by the name of Riggs who has lived with the Dakota and is a white man by birth. 

Emma and her family live in a small prairie town called New Ulm in Minnesota. Their farm is on the outskirts of town. Circumstances were rather harsh and often unforgiving back then. Winters are long and cold. Families needed to grow and cultivate or hunt most of what they could in order to eat, survive, and hopefully thrive.

Emma has an older sister named Ida who has not spoken and she believes her to be mute as does their family. Emma is protective of her and loves her very much. Emma’s older brother has joined the army.  And the two younger siblings are under all of the children and parents care.

Emma was enthralled with school while she was able to attend and her teacher has led her to believe that she should pursue a future of teaching. She keeps this to herself but secretly writes a letter to her teacher who has moved to another state inquiring as to what steps she must do to make this dream a reality. She frets for weeks that turn into months about the letter not arriving when finally she gets a reply. What will she do?

Situations change and the dream job of teaching is on the back burner. Emma ends up working with her father in his law in New Ulm. She begins doing small tasks for him and then moves into recording deeds and other documents before becoming a formal recorder for the courts. She loves learning and this is very satisfying for her. Will she stick with this or go teach?

The town of New Ulm has a fall dance and everyone from neighboring villages and towns has come to enjoy a bit of fun and frivolity for one night. Emma meets Riggs, the missionary, there and she feels like they are somehow destined to become more. Will they or won’t they?

Oenikika has been the only daughter of Chief Little Crow since her mother died in childbirth to which she feels eternally guilty. Her grandmother, the Chief’s mother, lives with them and helps take care of the Chief. Oenikika is a healer and helps keep their tribal wounds or sickness at bay. There are many in her tribe vying for her affections for marriage. She dismisses them all for different reasons and hopes none approach her father. She instead finds herself mesmerized with an outsider in their insular tribe, but a Dakota nonetheless. His name is Tashunke. Their eyes meet and she feels an instant spark but is unable to act on it as this would be quite inappropriate. Will they get together? 

President Lincoln has signed a treaty with the Indians whereby they are removed from their lands and given reservations with boundaries instead of roaming free as they had been since forever. They were promised stipends of money and food, both have never come to fruition. The Dakota cannot survive this way so many come together to decide whether or not to wage war against the white man. Is it war? Is it peace in their false realities? Will the white man ever make good on their deal?

I really loved this book and believe you will too. Mrs. Specks has a wonderful way of writing which I almost never see while reading for review and I have been a reviewer for more than twenty years. I found the characters believable and engaging. Their struggles were heartbreaking. Bravo on your first novel. I am sure we will see more from her in the future!