How Judah Joseph (Blue Eagle) Came to New Netherland

The protagonist is Judah Joseph born in Amsterdam in 1630.  His family moved to Recife Brazil in 1636 when the British West India Trading Company established trading relations with Caribbean countries in salt and sugar.  His father and mother were Jewish and the the family history went back to Spain and Portugal.  He spoke Hebrew, Portuguese and Dutch and later some English and French.

His back story began in Recife, Brazil where he had a traditional Jewish up-bringing until the age of 24.  He was an adventurous boy who often ventured out on his own, played soccer with street kids, and lingered at the Recife docks.  Although Bar Mitzvah ’ed he did not believe the Jewish bible stories his mother taught him and often had disagreements with his parents about the truth of how the world was made.  In his teen years, he had a crush on a non-Jewish girl, an au pair to a wealthy family.  His mother did approve of this relationship.  Judah did have a strong streak to make the world a better place.  This showed when his goal was to teach street kids how to read and write.

When he was a little older his father took him to Curacao on a business trip to learn the trade business.  There he had a sexual adventure with a banker's daughter.  He detested the way the Dutch treated the slaves who received only food and shelter for their labor.

When the Jews were forced out of Brazil in 1654 (true story) his ship was waylaid by a storm in the Caribbean but no port would accept the Jews on board.  

A French privateer rescued them and took them to New Netherland (later named New York) and received a small pittance for is trouble.  Peter Stuyvesant tried to send them away but was rebuked (also true) and the Dutch people of New Netherland took them in as farm laborers and renters.

When Stuyvesant was away, a large group of indigenous tribes, including Susquehannocks, invaded New Netherland, destroyed homes, killed settlers, and torched crops and took prisoners.  Here is where my story begins.

Judah was taken prisoner and rather than be involved in a prisoner swap he chose to become a Susquehannock warrior.  

The novel has 23 chapters and 2 parts and Judah (who later becomes Blue Eagle) goes through becoming a warrior, has a hero’s journey and then finds redemption at Bear village.