Spanning the Scottish Highlands, Gilded Age New York, and the contested lands of New Mexico, Land Shadows traces the rise of Murdoch McNeil-a man caught in a web of ambition, betrayal, and the seductive promise of ownership.
Orphaned in the aftermath of the Highland Clearances, Murdoch claws his way into the legal elite of New York City. But his success is built on a lie: a forged deed to a vast stretch of land in New Mexico's Maxwell Land Grant. As the U.S. government sorts which land frauds to honor and which to revoke, Murdoch must uproot his family and move to New Mexico to protect his claim.
Alongside him is Kewanee, a Potawatomi girl resisting the brutal assimilation of the Carlisle Indian School. Together, their fates entwine in a struggle for identity, legitimacy, and survival.
Land Shadows explores how America expanded-not just through conquest, but through compromise, betrayal, and the rewriting of truth.
Praise for Land Shadows
"Striegel's vivid writing brings to life a sweeping story of land, legacy, and betrayal... a richly imagined historical novel with modern resonance."
-BookLife by Publishers Weekly
"An enlightening and thoughtful approach to how land rights were handled during another era... Highly recommended."
-Ann Howard Creel, The Magic of Ordinary Days
"An engrossing tale with spellbinding characters... you're watching history unfold."
-Marianne Goodland, President, Denver Press Club
For Educators: Land Shadows pairs well with classroom instruction on land policy, Indigenous history, and the Gilded Age. A full archive of historical sources, citations, and downloadable lesson plans are available at www.landshadows.com.