Cottonwood Synopsis

Thursday, July 03, 2008

Friends, Potential Publishers and Agents,

RE: HISTORICAL FICTION "COTTONWOOD"
As we humans begin to reassess our place in the world, and how our decisions have affected it, my novel "Cottonwood" takes the reader on a journey through time. Set in a small piece of wilderness in southeastern Minnesota, the landscape is altered, as humans from overseas move into the area.

If we could stand in one place and witness the changes that occur over the decades, or even centuries, we might learn something important about ourselves and the world we live in. The enormous cottonwood trees of the Minnesota River Valley appear like giants within the bottomland forest in the floodplain of the recently rated fifth most endangered river in the United States. These giant trees are the witnesses of our influence, and the anchors to a story that peeks into the lives of the humans and animals that came before us.

The American Indians were the first humans to inhabit the river valley, though the ancient bones in some of the burial mounds are not necessarily representative of the tribes currently in Minnesota. Encroachment by settlers from other lands displaced and pushed the native peoples to the west. From my own singular perspective, I can see how things have changed during my lifetime. Yet when I venture out on my hikes into the magical marshes and woods of the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, I have encountered bits of history both tangible and in spirit.
http://www.fws.gov/Midwest/MinnesotaValley/

My explorations lead me to become a volunteer ranger, and my volunteer work led to further explorations. I have traveled extensively (on foot) throughout the eight units of the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, and the surrounding land.

My qualifications as an author come from a lifetime of writing short stories, music, poetry, and of course, my first novel, "He Who Goes First."
ISBN: 1413741908.
I received my Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Minnesota, and my jobs have included, horticulture/landscaping, public library clerk, administrative support in the county chemical health division, and I currently work in technology for a school district and part-time in government television. I also bring a lifetime of interest in wildlife and wilderness areas.

Synopsis:
The story follows the growth of a cottonwood tree across nearly a century. The story starts just prior to European influence, with a young warrior running from his enemies. This is a pre-horse culture and as he stops to catch his breath, a few drops of blood run down his fingers and land on the cottonwood seedling –thus the blood of the warrior is incorporated into the makeup of the tree.

As the warrior runs on, the story likewise continues into the future. As the novel covers roughly two centuries, characters will come and go, while demonstrating how life was in this pivotal point in our history. Though the lives of both humans and animals pass through the story, the tree remains the anchor that keeps pulling the novel back together. Eventually, another tree sprouts up and begins its life, as the original begins to die and ultimately succumbs to time. This was necessary to maintain the realism, since cottonwoods generally live around 90 years.

As the story moves ever closer to the modern era, the reader is carried along through the many changes that affect both the human inhabitants, as well as the wildlife in and around the area that would later become the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge.

At one point, ancient bones are dug up during a construction project. While early in the story such a find might be destroyed or pillaged, as the tale progresses, so do the public's ideas and the laws to ensure that the bones are respected and handled properly. At this point, the story takes the liberty of propelling the reader hundreds of years into the past, in order to put a human face on the remains. The reader witnesses the tale of the man's death –through the eyes of his grandson in a world (and even a climate) that is very different from the present.

The story ends with a volunteer park ranger, who spends a lot of time in the bottomland forest. This person gains an appreciation for both the resiliency of the wilderness and also the damage that has been incurred over the decades and centuries.

Target Audience:
My target audience is anyone who likes history and sees the value of historical fiction to bring it alive. Adults and young people who are interested in the natural environment will appreciate this historical and sometimes scientific account. My format appeals to busy people, as my chapters are short. People, who enjoy short stories, will like this series of vignettes that is pulled together by the cottonwood trees and the landscape.

As part of my marketing strategy, I want to utilize Internet technology. Inside the cover of each book, I would like to include the email address,
cottonwoodnovel@yahoo.com.

I created this email account specifically for this novel and plan to use it to allow readers to communicate and ask questions of me. The idea came when a coworker bought a copy of my first novel (He Who Goes First) for her twelve-year-old son, and he excitedly sent his mom to work with daily questions and comments for me. Eventually he visited our workplace to have lunch with me. I would also like to use blogging as a marketing resource.

Kevin J. Curtis - Author of,
“Cottonwood,” Copyright 2008