Tucson Festival of Books 2023
The weather was beautiful at the book festival on March 4th and 5th! So many people came out too. It felt like we are finally getting...
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Amanda M. Cetas
Thrown to the Wind
“It would have to be now or never. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and jumped!”
Based on a true story. In October 1660, Etienne Gayneau rushes through the cobblestone streets of La Rochelle, France, to meet his cousin at the harbor. A ship carrying King Louis XIV's elite musketeers is docking. He dreams of becoming one himself, but has no idea that their arrival will force his Huguenot family to flee in the dead of night. His cousin has offered him a safe haven. Now he must choose - stay and pursue his dream or leave and face an uncertain destiny. Both choices are fraught with dangers. Either way his life will never be the same.
A Home in the Wilderness
Now Available!
“The children were screaming, as I picked them up in both arms and ran towards the doorway. I thrust them outside just as the burning roof collapsed on top of me.”
It is June 10, 1663 and Etienne runs through a field, startling a flock of grouse into the air. Amid a frenzy of feathers and squawking, he heads toward a double wedding in town. He has no idea that the ceremony will be interrupted with the news of an Esopus attack on the Dutch settlement up north. The consequences will turn his world upside down, threatening his family, community, and Lenape friends. He must choose – protect his new friends or defend his community. Both choices demand great sacrifice and risk the lives of those he loves.
Thrown to the Wind proves an apt title, capturing the refugee’s plight: upheaval and uncertainty, exhaustion and anxiety, trepidation and hopefulness. Cetas’s debut also details the era’s arduous shipboard travel: instead of feeling unmoored, Etienne quickly finds his sea legs and gains confidence as a cabin boy who can cope with precarious situations. (Thrown to the Wind)
BookLife Reviews
The author’s historical research is admirably rigorous in her meticulous presentation of the inflammatory hostility that existed between settlers and Native peoples in the mid-17th century. (A Home in the Wilderness)
Kirkus Reviews
An inspirational and vividly unique story of loss, self-discovery, and redemption. Very entertaining - 5 stars.
Fantastic Literary Services
Amanda Cetas has pulled together an excellent story, here: one that is sparkling with adventure and excitement, and rich with historical details. Etienne is an excellent hero.... And for anyone looking for a middle grade/YA novel that brings history to life, I would highly recommend Etienne's story, as well.
Theoden Humphrey, English Teacher and Author
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