About the Book
Book: The Caregiver at Wounded Knee (Enduring Hope Book 4)
Author: Debby Lee
Genre: Christian Historical Fiction
Release Date: February, 2026
Rose Seeks Peace at All Costs
When life seems weighed down by challenges, there are always pillars of enduring hope and love to be discovered.
Rose Rushing Water, an Oglala Sioux trained back East in nursing, is torn between two brothers—one who seeks to appease the government and one who fights to cling to the old ways at all costs. Tribal policeman Nathaniel Gray Cloud struggles to keep peace on the reservation and support his sister, who is also desperate to hold on to family traditions. Can Rose and Nathaniel find a peace that comes only from God, or will they lose their families and their lives as tensions reach a boiling point at Wounded Knee Creek, South Dakota?
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About the Author
Debby Lee was raised in the cozy little town of Toledo, Washington. She has been writing since she was a small child, and has written several novels, but never forgets home. The Northwest Christian Writers Association and Romance Writers of America are two organizations that Debby enjoys being a part of. As a self professed nature lover, and an avid listener of 1960’s folk music, Debby can’t help but feel like a hippie child who wasn’t born soon enough to attend Woodstock. She wishes she could run barefoot all year long, but often does anyway in the grass and on the beaches in her hamlet that is the cold and rainy southwest Washington. During football season, Debby cheers on the Seattle Seahawks along with legions of other devoted fans. She’s also filled with wanderlust and dreams of visiting Denmark, Italy, and Morocco someday.
More from Debby
A crime against humanity occurred more than one-hundred years ago, a massacre that still resonates, and haunts people to this day. I’m referring to the massacre at Wounded Knee Creek, the slaying of hundreds of men, women and children, their lifeless bodies left on the frozen ground surrounding this small, winding body of water.
In writing my novel, The Caregiver at Wounded Knee, I traveled to the Pine Ridge Reservation in southwest South Dakota. In late April, the grasslands had not yet drank enough water or basked in enough sun to turn themselves green. Even so, I was taken in by the evocative beauty of the land. I noted the rolling hills that seemed to stretch on and on as if they wished to reach out and touch the tip of eternity.
As I drove to the site of the massacre I passed White Clay Creek. My characters, Rose and Nathaniel have a picnic along the banks of this creek. It’s the place where Rose flees to after witnessing the massacre, where she struggles to cope with the traumatic aftermath. Thankfully, Rose and Nathaniel create more happy memories there.
I included two real people in my novel, Doctor Charles Eastman and Elaine Goodale. Dr. Eastman by the way; was a real person, his Indian name being Ohiyesa. He was educated in the east and graduated from medical school. He married Elaine Goodale, a school teacher from Massachusetts. Together they operated a clinic in the community of Pine Ridge and were in many scenes throughout my novel.
When I reached the site where the massacre occurred, I couldn’t help but notice how big of an area the site encompassed. The creek itself surprised me. It wasn’t as deep or wide as I thought it would be and the banks leading to the water were fairly steep in some places. It looked serene and almost peaceful, but I thought, oh if those waters could talk.
I stood on a hilltop where I’m told a Catholic church had once stood and I gazed across the plateau below where the Lakota people were camped. I tried to picture the area where the soldiers were stationed, along with their Hotchkiss guns, which looked like small cannons to me. What went through the hearts and minds of the Lakota people?
I tried to imagine how the stomachs of Rose and those of her tribe were knotted with hunger, how cold they were as the icy wind swept over the land, how frightened they must have been as they were surrounded by soldiers with, Lord knows, what kind of nefarious intentions.
And I cried. I more than cried. I wept. I shed what felt like a gallon of tears for the injustice perpetrated against this tribe, for native people everywhere.
The military was confiscating the Lakota weapons, when gunfire ensued. Hundreds of women and children fell, wounded, dying, or dead. It’s been said they were simply caught in the crossfire.
And yet the body of a woman, who was shot in the back, was found by Dr. Eastman more than a mile from the site. Likely chased down and shot by 7th Cavalry. Eight or nine young schoolboys, who were returning to boarding school, were playing on a slope, nearby. They were no older than ten. They were all were shot dead. An estimated 300 Lakota men, women and children were killed; compared to 31 Army soldiers, many who died from friendly fire.
After the massacre the bodies of the dead were buried in a mass grave at the top of a small hill. I added a scene where Rose and her brother visit the site to pay their respects. It wasn’t easy for her to return to the scene of such trauma, but in her mind, it was necessary.
The long rectangle shaped grave is now outlined with concrete and is surrounded by resting places of many other members of the Lakota tribe. A monument has been placed there, engraved with the names of many of the victims.
There are signs on the Pine Ridge Reservation offering directions to those who want to visit the site. If you’re ever passing through, I recommend a stop there. I know I will be forever changed by the time I spent traversing this hallowed ground.
My Impressions
“A stab of betrayal pierced her. The Lakota culture had been torn from her, and those in authority hadn’t given her a choice. Peter had had the option to retain his culture, like their younger brother had, but he had willingly chosen the white man’s ways. If the Lakota people weren’t careful, many of their traditions, oral histories, and stories would be lost forever. And her brother didn’t seem to care.”
After finishing Debby Lee’s The Caregiver at Wounded Knee, I have to say my feelings are in a jumble. There is no happily-ever-after in this story. Given the magnitude of the loss to the Lakota tribe and their culture, there cannot be. But slowly, there emerges a glimmer of Hope, that can only shine if people choose to let the Light in.
In 1890, after years away in the East, nurse Rose Rushing Water returns to the Lakota reservation in South Dakota, eager to help her people. She is also eager to reunite with her two brothers, Peter and Kaneenawup. Perhaps just as much, Rose wishes to re-enter into the customs and language of her people that were lost to her while in Boston.
What Rose finds on the reservation is fear, resentment, and hostility. The Lakota are distrustful of the whites who have taken over their land, brought new diseases, and have not shown concern or care for their welfare. The whites are afraid of the Indian dances, particularly the Ghost dance, and have put severe restrictions on the Native Americans to keep them subjugated and assimilated. In between are the Tribal police, Lakota men who are tasked as mediators between the government officials and the tribal people. Peter, Rose’s oldest brother and his best friend, Nathaniel are part of this small group.
As tensions ratchet, Rose tends to the sick of the reservation along with Dr. Eastman. She also begins secretly meeting with Nathaniel to re-learn the Lakota language, though being caught speaking it could land a person in jail. As Rose and her two brothers walk a tightrope in their relationships with each other because of their views on assimilation, a terrible tragedy for the Lakota stirs up rumors of an uprising. The government uses that as an excuse to come in to the camp at Wounded Knee, and a terrible massacre of mostly women and children takes place.
Rose has many questions for God. She is attracted to Nathaniel, but he believes God is in control. Rose wants nothing to do with the God that has been forced on her by people who have misused her and her people. Rose asks the age-old question, “How can a loving God allow… I loved how Nathaniel is able to empathize with Rose’s feelings, but separate angry feelings from bitterness and the need for revenge. Finally, Nathaniel lands on a word picture that helps Rose understand. He compares wood and religion. “We don’t blame the creator of the wood that’s used for evil. We blame the person using the wood for evil purposes.” He continues, “In a time when the world seems to be going crazy and there’s so much fighting between people, we can’t allow the evil actions of a few to keep us from enjoying the good things God has to offer us.” We can all mull that one over.
A heavy read, to be sure, but one that may give most readers a better understanding of the Wounded Knee massacre and the surrounding events.
I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit via NetGalley. I also purchased my own ebook. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.
Notable Quotables:
“Did his God really snuggle close to those who knew Him, and offer them companionship in the midst of trouble?” (Rose)
“It seemed that everything about her people was being yanked from them and vanishing in the air like the vapor her breath left behind on this bitterly cold winter day.” (Rose)
“We can’t let our righteous anger fester into rage, bitterness, and a thirst for vengeance, no matter how much it hurts.”– Nathaniel
“She pushed her secrets deeper into the recesses of her mind, fearing they would someday fester.” (Rose)
My Rating
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Magnificent! I certainly have a better understanding of the events surrounding Wounded Knee!
Blog Stops
Books Less Travelled, February 26
Simple Harvest Reads, February 27 (Author Interview)
Sydney Schmied Books, February 27
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, February 28
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 1
Texas Book-aholic, March 2
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 3
For Him and My Family, March 4
Connie’s History Classroom , March 5
Locks, Hooks and Books, March 6
Cover Lover Book Review, March 7
Pause for Tales, March 8
Betti Mace, March 9
Devoted To Hope, March 10
Books You Can Feel Good About, March 11
Holly’s Book Corner, March 11
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Debby is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon Gift Card and a print copy of the book!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://gleam.io/G0Oie/blaze-of-courage-celebration-tour-giveaway
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions 