As Long As The Grass Grows

They could take his home. They could take his land. But they could never take his memories. Atohi is a young Cherokee growing up in the mountains of Georgia, surrounded by the traditions and stories of the Ani-Yunwiya—the Principal People. His grandfather has entrusted him with the Ulûñsû’tï, a sacred stone carrying the memory of their ancestors and the spirit of their people. But the world Atohi knows is changing. White settlers are pouring into Cherokee territory. Gold has been discovered. Forests are being destroyed, sacred places violated, and families driven from their homes. Treaties are broken, promises are forgotten, and the United States government is determined to force the Cherokee west. Atohi builds a family with the woman he loves, but even that cannot protect them from what is coming. When Atohi and thousands of his people are rounded up and forced onto the Trail of Tears, survival becomes a day-to-day battle against hunger, disease, cold, violence, and death. With his family depending upon him, Atohi must find the strength to keep moving—and carry with him the stories his grandfather taught him never to forget. But reaching their new home will not end the struggle. The Cherokee must rebuild their lives while confronting grief, betrayal, political division, and the desire for revenge. Atohi must learn that preserving his people may require something harder than fighting an enemy. It may require forgiveness. As Long As The Grass Grows is a powerful historical novel of love, loss, survival, and the enduring strength of a people determined not to be erased.