Children of the Forest

In 1726, Charles Belleau, a young French artist, migrates to North America. At Montreal, he is impressed into a work crew that is sent to the juncture of the Niagara River and Lake Ontario. There they begin construction of a fort which will give France control of access to the inner Great Lakes.Forced to labor in the middle of a hostile wilderness, he regrets his decision to migrate until he meets Mask Maker, a Seneca warrior, who is renowned for creating ceremonial masks. They become friends and gradually Belleau is drawn into adventures that exceed his wildest dreams.

Walter R. Garver is a professional artist and writer who was born and raised in Western New York, the locale of his novel Children of the Forest. His home and studio are not far from Old Fort Niagara which inspired the book and served as a source for the extensive research needed to write the story. He has won numerous awards for his paintings and is listed in Who's Who in American Art. From 1986 to 2006, he was a Contributing Editor to the Artist's Magazine and its quarterly supplement, Watercolor Magic.