COVERED WITH NIGHT A Story of Murder and Indigenous Justice in Early America

This memorable audiobook, narrated by Laural Merlington, is a deep dive into the now obscure and largely forgotten 1722 Pennsylvania murder of Sawantaeny, a Seneca hunter, by John and Edmund Cartlidge. The two white traders were upset that Sawantaeny was resisting what they considered to be a fair deal. Eustace uses the crime and its aftermath as a starting point to explore white and Indigenous justice, traditions, and politics of the time. Merlington's performance, delivered in her slightly deep voice, is steady but expressive enough to hold the listener's attention. There are some sudden changes between past and present tense that might give the listener a bit of audio whiplash, but that is a minor quibble about a fascinating look at a little-appreciated era of American history. G.S. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2021]