Large Print, 16 pt font Edition! Step into your birch bark canoe and grab a paddle! You're off to the early 1800s and the thrilling, true-life adventure disclosing the FIRST life of Old Ice Feathers in James Brakken's latest novel, The Secret Life of Chief Namakagon. When his friend and mentor dies in 1886, young Tor Loken learns of Namakagon's previous life. But why, four decades earlier, did he isolate himself in this uninhabited northern Wisconsin wilderness? Was Namakagon running from a troubled past? From a horrific crime? Now James Brakken's research reveals Namakagon's life before he came to his northern Wisconsin home. The Secret Life of Chief Namakagon is historical fiction this Wisconsin author and the third novel in Brakken's Chief Namakagon trilogy. It launched July 4, 2014, in Bayfield County, the chief's home until his suspicious 1886 death. Who was Namakagon? Through exhaustive research, Brakken now exposes the original identity of the legendary chief and solves a mystery dating back to 1846. The story is a thrilling prequel to Brakken's second novel, Tor Loken & the Death of Chief Namakagon and book one, The Treasure of Namakagon, a book that took 2nd place in Amazon's 2013 Breakthrough Novel Awards out of 10,000 worldwide entries. The Secret Life of Chief Namakagon is an astonishing true-life adventure-a tale of child abduction by renegades, then three decades living as an Ojibwe in southern Manitoba and northern Minnesota. Wedged deep in the bloody strife between the Hudson's Bay Company and rival, North West Fur Company, his people rejected him, beginning his downward spiral. Eventually, fearing execution at the hands of corrupt authorities, he disappeared. Now, 168 years later, Brakken's extensive detective work finally unveiled this man's location and his first identity. It's a captivating, stand-alone novel written for all who enjoy a fusion of thrilling fiction and fascinating history. You'll find more about the Chief Namakagon trilogy on James Brakken's website, BadgerValley.com. Reviews of James Brakken's Writing: "Weaving mystery into history, 'The Treasure of Namakagon' vivifies the tumultuous nature of 19th-century life in the legendary north woods." Michael Perry, NYT bestselling Wisconsin author "... A fascinating tale ... There is a strong sense in this book of oneness with nature. There's rip-roaring action ... The book is so well-written." "Difficult to put down; a great read." Publisher's Weekly Magazine "The writing style of this piece is its greatest strength. The flow of the words is like an old fashioned song." Amazon Books "... Wonderfully well written ... Compelling .... Captures the reader's attention and keeps us reading." "A good piece of writing with suspense and action ...." Jerry Apps, Award winning Wisconsin author "It's the dialog and characters that drive The Treasure of Namakagon, a book that, if the audience for westerns was more like it was in the 1950s, would likely be sitting at or near the top of the best sellers lists. It appears as if author James A. Brakken is determined to make a go of this series, and ... he's made at least one fan in this reader." Judge, 22nd Annual Writer's Digest Self-Published Book Awards "Open with caution. You won't want to put this one down." LaMoine MacLaughlin, President, Wisconsin Writers Association "A twisting, thrilling mix of mystery, adventure and legendary treasure. Wisconsin history buffs will find this book a treasure in itself. An exciting adventure for all ages." Waldo Asp, AARP Chairman "Brakken takes his readers down Northern Wisconsin's untamed Namakagon River, back when giant virgin forests lured heroic lumber-jacks to seek their fortune. In scene after scene, the reader is surrounded by the beauty of pristine woods and lakes, rooting for the good guys to beat out the greedy." A. Y. Stratton, author of Buried Heart "I liked it!" Professor Larry Meiller, Wisconsin Public
About the Author: James A. Brakken was just a boy when he first heard stories of Chief Namakagon and his secret silver mine. Born and raised in Cable, Wisconsin, not far from the Namekagon River, he listened to the tales of the old lumber camps, explored the legendary river, and walked the ice roads in search of Chief Namakagon's treasure. Brakken's first lumberjack novel, The Treasure of Namakagon, a tale of a boy who finds himself in an 1883 northern Wisconsin lumber camp, won 2nd place out of 10,000 worldwide entries in the 2013 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards. Now Brakken's research has unlocked secrets of two mysteries from another century: 1. The suspicious 1886 demise of Chief Namakagon. Follow the clues in Tor Loken & the Death of Chief Namakagon and you will agree that his death most likely involved foul play and a subsequent cover-up. 2. The solution to the disappearance of a fugitive wanted for murder in 1846. The facts within The Secret Life of Chief Namakagon are sure to amaze and fascinate. Published in Sports Afield, Outdoor Life, Field & Stream, Boys Life, and School Arts magazines, Brakken is also a 1st place winner in both the 2013 and 2014 Lake Superior Writers competition. The award-winning author writes his lumberjack tales, backwoods poems and other works from his home in Wisconsin's Bayfield County. A historian and conservationist, he has earned statewide recognition for his work to protect and preserve the lakes and streams of northwest Wisconsin through his writing. Brakken publishes his own books and those of other writers. Of James Brakken's writing, Publisher's Weekly Magazine and Amazon Books said, "Difficult to put down, a great read," and "the flow of words is like an old fashioned song."