Children of the Forest

About the Book

      In the spring of 1726, Charles Belleau, an eighteen year old stone mason and apprentice sculptor, reluctantly migrates to North America where he hopes he will find opportunities not available in France.       Because he has experience in masonry, Belleau is impressed into a construction crew at Montreal and sent to the juncture of the Niagara River and Lake Ontario where the French are building a great stone house. It will serve as the nucleus of a fort that will dominate the easiest, most direct route inland to the riches of the western Great Lakes and the Mississippi River.       Forced to labor in the middle of a hostile wilderness, Belleau regrets his decision to migrate until he meets Mask Maker, a Seneca warrior who is renowned for creating ceremonial masks. They become friends and gradually Belleau is drawn into adventures that exceed his wildest dreams.

About the Author

Walter R. Garver is a professional artist and writer who was born and raised in Western New York, the locale of his novel Children of the Forest. His home and studio are not far from Old Fort Niagara which inspired the book and served as a source for the extensive research needed to write the story. He has won numerous awards for his paintings and is listed in Who’s Who in American Art. From 1986 to 2006, he was a Contributing Editor to the Artist’s Magazine and its quarterly supplement, Watercolor Magic.