Walks Through The Mist by Kim Murphy

Walks Through The mist (The Dreaming series Book 1) by Kim Murphy[image error]

If you like “Outlander” and time travel stories with a lot of history, this is a book you will want to read. The historical time period is 1609 to 1630 and focuses on Jamestown and the Paspahegh and local tribes.

The author has done her research to be as historically accurate as possible and covers a lot of information without weighing down the story. Phoebe Wynne has arrived in the present time in a mist and was hit by a car. Detective Lee Crowley is trying to figure out who she is. He has his own mysterious past because he is Native American but was abandoned at the age of two and adopted by white parents.

His ex-wife, Shae is a psychiatrist and treats Phoebe who slowly begins to recall her life in the 17th century. Phoebe’s recollections are in historical order and interwoven with her relationships with the people in the present. She has a special attachment to Lee which is revealed in the end. Don’t peek and ruin the ending.

Murphy is balanced in her depiction of whites and their treatment of women and the tribes or “savages” that they kill as they encroach on their land. This is the time of Pocahontas, and she is mentioned because the Paspahegh are related to her tribe.

Much of the story is violent with Phoebe losing loved ones or being whipped at her father’s command and then as a witch because she is a healer, but the descriptions are realistic and balanced with scenes of family and loving relationships.

If you want to learn about how life was in the 17th century in a balanced and accurate manner instead of what is written in history books, this is a must read. The characters are fully developed and the minor ones add to the story. It is well-written, carefully paced, and has a very satisfying ending. And there is a sequel that sounds equally exciting.