Staring at proof of an ancient volcanic eruption, sixteen year old Kayla Stephens sees dark lava, high desert, and dry brush.
She can't believe anyone once called this arid land home. Still, something about what used to be home for an Indian tribe calls to her.
Dressed in what Kayla believes is a Native American costume, a teenage girl emerges from the shadows. The grief-stricken stranger begs Kayla to help rescue her infant son from those who'd wrenched him from her arms. As much as Kayla wants to believe the girl is crazy, she can't.
Morning Song's desperate plea touches her heart.
Kayla agrees to travel back in time with the young Modoc to the winter of 1872-73. That's when the small northern California tribe had fled the reservation they'd been forced onto and had snuck home, hiding in icy caves. This is Modoc country. They, not settlers, belong here. However, the newcomers' weapons are superior and they have the Army's support.
Despite the odds, Morning Song isn't alone in her determination to raise her child where her ancestors were born, lived, and died. The tribe's leaders believe that somehow, with their spirits' guidance, they will win the uneven battle.
Kayla is painfully aware of how the conflict ended, but here in the past only a teenage mother's love for her child matters. Turning her back on the present, Kayla vows to risk her life alongside Morning Song.
The author of over a dozen Native American historicals, Vella Munn has written a time-travel novel for young adult readers. She hopes to give today's teens some insight into what life was like for Native Americans 150 plus years ago. Although fiction,
Her Desperate Plea
is historically accurate.