Amerikanische Wald- und Strombilder. Erster Band.

A sweeping portrait of the early American frontier, this volume immerses listeners in the turbulence of the 1830s Midwest. It recounts the clash between United States troops and the Sioux, Winnebago, and Fox peoples under the fierce leader Black Hawk, whose desperate stand against encroaching settlers ignites brutal skirmishes, disease, and a harsh winter of cholera that ravages both armies and civilians alike.

Amid the larger conflict, the narrative follows the quiet, poignant life of an aging Winnebago trader in the small town of Waterton. He swaps prairie game for whiskey and ammunition, until a sudden illness ends his days, and his body is laid to rest in a sacred Indian mound—a solemn reminder of a world slipping away. Through these intertwined stories, the book paints a vivid picture of a landscape reshaped by war, survival, and the lingering echo of cultures confronting irrevocable change.