Chiquita, an American Novel: The Romance of a Ute Chief's Daughter

The story opens amid a snowy New England farmhouse where a new baby, Jack Sheppard, is welcomed by a tight‑knit community obsessed with thrift, honor and the promises of “civilization.” The Sheppards, descendants of early English settlers, embody the frontier’s blend of rugged self‑reliance and genteel tradition, while Jack’s father, a charismatic yet wayward adventurer, hints at the restless spirit that will soon pull the narrative westward.

From the high valleys of the Ute nation, Chiquita—daughter of a respected chief—appears, her world a tapestry of mountain canyons, tribal rituals and a fierce love for her people. As settlers encroach and cultures collide, she finds herself drawn into a delicate romance with a mountain warrior named Antelope, while also confronting the pull of education and the burgeoning pressures of a rapidly changing America. The novel paints a vivid portrait of a young woman caught between two worlds, navigating desire, duty, and the bittersweet promise of a new era.