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Lehigh Carbon Community College

By Suzy Alstrin

A novel written by Reinhardt Professor of English Donna Coffey Little earned the Southern Literary Review’s 2024 Book of the Year Award. Wofford’s Blood (Mercer University Press, 2024) was published this past Fall. Based on actual historical characters, it tells the story of an interconnected Cherokee, white and Black family in the early 1800s. It explores life on the border between Georgia and the Cherokee Nation in the years leading up to the Trail of Tears.

Southern Literary Review praised Dr. Coffey Little’s research, as “outstanding,” her writing as “capturing the angst of a relatively unknown historical figure caught between two cultures,” and stated, “Kudos to Donna Coffey Little for providing a voice to Native Americans who deserve to be more widely understood and heard. A compelling, fascinating story it is.”

Dr. Coffey Little says her fascination with the landscape and history of North Georgia inspired her to write the book. Her research included traveling to the places described in the book and meeting descendants of the Wofford family. She is already working on a sequel.