The Heart of the Red Firs: A Story of the Pacific Northwest

"The Heart of the Red Firs: A Story of the Pacific Northwest" by Ada Woodruff Anderson is a novel set in the early 1900s in the rugged Pacific Northwest, and it tells of settlers and native inhabitants sharing the same territory amid difficulty. Mose, a mixed-race child, is a young boy struggling with who he is and is dealing with differences in culture; this story focuses on his life and the lives of his community as they live in this rough environment. The introduction to the tale centers on a country classroom where the pleasant smells of cedar and fir fill the air as class is done for the day. Mose's father shows up angrily looking for his child, who had a gun, but the teacher stops him, showing her strength and how much she cares for him. Other characters we get to see is the teacher revealing her love for nature along with her love interest, Paul Forrest, which demonstrates a blooming relationship amidst their rough journey and all of its trials. This storyline appears to show a blend of different themes like identity, love, and culture in a world that is always changing.