Frederic Homer Balch

The Bridge of the Gods Frederic Homer Balch

Idealistic New England missionary Cecil Grey's vision draws him 3,000 miles west. Amazingly, he discovers the exact stone bridge--tomanowos--he saw in his dream. It is a creation of the gods, and legend says that as long as the natural rock arch stands, the Willamettes will rule. Confident, their chief Multnomah becomes a fierce and ruthless leader, reigning over a network of Pacific Coast tribes from Mount Shasta to today's British Columbia. But when an old Indian prophet warns of a different future and Grey fatefully encounters Wallulah, Multnomah's gentle daughter, tragedy follows. Set in 1690s prehistoric Oregon, this regional classic was the first work of fiction by a Northwest writer to feature Native Americans as main characters. It also evokes an extraordinary sense of place, introducing readers to the Pacific Northwest's primal forests, untamed rivers, and volcanic peaks. A new introduction by Stephen L. Harris offers interpretive content and a biography of the author.