J. Houston-Emerson is a writer, storyteller, painter, and teacher. Her inspiration comes from Cherokee cultural heritage and her creative work in the arts. Her debut novel "The Myth Makers" is at its core a family story, and yet its broader narrative engages the reader in the complex history of Indian Removal and the earlier days of Indian Territory. The author's series of paintings "The Shape Shift Series" is grounded in her understanding of this history and her own first-hand experiences in a similarly complex world.
- John Haworth (Cherokee), Director National Museum of the American Indian's Heye Center, New York City What a fabulous venue to get this story out in such an entertaining way. It is a stunning book.
- Dr. Don Betz, President, Northeastern State University Tahlequah, Okla
Judith Emerson’s historic novel details a small cast of
Cherokees just before, during, and after arriving in the new Indian Territory
now called Oklahoma. You may have read of the Trail of Tears before but this
composition will make it more personal. You are treated to a storyteller’s
style through many of the events covered in the text. This gives the
non-Cherokee a sense of how the Cherokees thought of the world and how a
non-white reality was considered the common view. Using many archival texts
Emerson’s stories are well documented. Yet she never fails to put the reader in
the story’s action. This book is highly recommended for students of Indian
Removal, Cherokee culture, and all who are interested in the passing of some of
the oral tradition of the “Real People”, the Cherokee.
- Rodger Harris, retired from the Oklahoma Historical Society after twenty years as the oral historian.