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
Based on true events, this story traces one boy’s journey from France to America in 1660 as he finds the courage to save himself and those he loves.
Etienne Gayneau must give up everything he has ever known as he faces many dangers along his journey from La Rochelle to the New World. Along the way, Etienne will befriend a beautiful Dutch girl with a dangerous father, confront his guilt over the death of his brother, and face off against injury, illness, and death. Will Etienne choose to fulfill his family’s expectations, or will he plot the course for his own destiny?
A Home in the Wilderness
Now Available!
Based on true events, Etienne’s story continues in America in 1663 as he must chart his course through a dangerous New World.
A double wedding is interrupted with news of a Native American attack on the Dutch settlement of Wiltwyck. Women and children were taken hostage and a nearby village was burned to the ground. The whole colony is now preparing for war and his Native American friends have not returned. Were they involved? Etienne will have to choose sides. Will he protect his new friends or defend his community? Both choices demand great sacrifice and risk the lives of those he loves. His life will never be the same again.
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.
BookLife Reviews, 7/18/2022
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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