Synopsis

Spanning the Scottish Highlands, Gilded Age New York, and the contested lands of New Mexico, Land Shadows traces the arc of a man caught in a web of ambition, betrayal, and the seductive promise of ownership.

In 1851, nine-year-old Murdoch McNeil and his family are violently evicted from their ancestral home on the Isle of Barra during the Highland Clearances. After a harrowing voyage to America in which he loses his entire family, Murdoch arrives in New York as an orphan, clinging to his father's dying words: "Do anything you have to do to get land and to keep it." These words become both his compass and his curse.

Through extraordinary intelligence and ruthless determination, Murdoch rises from printer's apprentice to successful lawyer in Gilded Age New York. When the opportunity arises to acquire vast tracts of land in New Mexico, he seizes it—even if it means engaging in the same fraudulent schemes that once destroyed his own family. New York and New Mexico are bound by an umbilical cord of fraud—tightened by political greed, legal manipulation, and the unchecked power of the Gilded Age.

As Murdoch builds his empire, a parallel story unfolds: that of Kewanee, a young Potawatomi girl fighting to preserve her cultural heritage and connection to the land. Their stories intersect in unexpected ways, forcing Murdoch to confront the bitter irony that he has become what he once despised—a man who takes land from those who rightfully belong to it.

Land Shadows is a powerful exploration of how trauma shapes destiny, how the wounds of dispossession echo across continents and generations, and the devastating moral compromises made in pursuit of belonging.

Discussion Questions

1. The novel opens with the Highland Clearances and closes with the dispossession of Indigenous peoples in New Mexico. How does Striegel use these parallel acts of displacement to comment on land ownership, power, and justice? What does the title Land Shadows suggest about the lasting impact of these events?

2. Murdoch's father tells him to "do anything you have to do to get land and to keep it." How does this advice shape Murdoch's choices throughout his life? At what point, if any, does following this advice become morally indefensible? Could he have honored his father's memory in a different way?

3. Murdoch experiences profound trauma as a child—losing his family, his home, and his identity. How does unresolved trauma drive his actions as an adult? Do you think the novel portrays him sympathetically, critically, or somewhere in between?

4. Both the Kirkus and Booklife reviews describe Murdoch as "emotionally and morally complicated." Discuss the moments in the novel where Murdoch's actions are hardest to justify. Were there moments where you found yourself rooting for him despite his moral failings?

5. The novel explores how Murdoch becomes the very thing he despised—someone who takes land from people who have ancestral claims to it. What does this transformation reveal about cycles of violence and oppression? Can victims become perpetrators without fully recognizing what they've become?

6. Kewanee's story runs parallel to Murdoch's. How does her perspective illuminate different ways of understanding land, belonging, and cultural identity? What does her eventual adoption by Murdoch suggest about family, legacy, and redemption?

7. The Gilded Age was characterized by rapid economic expansion, political corruption, and extreme inequality. How does Striegel use this historical period to explore themes that remain relevant today? What connections can you draw between the land fraud of the 1800s and contemporary issues of property, wealth, and power?

8. The novel shifts between multiple perspectives and time periods. How did this narrative structure affect your reading experience? Did it deepen your understanding of the characters and themes, or did you find it challenging?

Key Themes to Consider

• Land and Identity: The profound connection between place and self, and what happens when that connection is severed through displacement

• Cycles of Trauma: How personal and historical trauma perpetuate patterns of harm across generations

• Manifest Destiny and Colonial Violence: The brutal realities behind America's westward expansion and the legal systems used to justify dispossession

• Moral Compromise: The question of whether ambition and survival can justify unethical actions

• Cultural Heritage: The importance of preserving cultural identity and the devastating effects of forced assimilation

• The American Dream's Dark Side: How the promise of prosperity often came at the expense of others' suffering

• Redemption and Legacy: Whether and how individuals can make amends for past wrongs, and what we leave behind

About the Presenters

R.J. Striegel

Land Shadows is R.J. Striegel's debut novel, the result of extensive historical research and a deep passion for exploring how personal trauma intersects with larger historical forces. Striegel's vivid, descriptive prose brings to life the landscapes of 19th-century Scotland, New York, and New Mexico, while his nuanced character development creates a morally complex protagonist whose journey raises profound questions about justice, belonging, and the true meaning of home.

Jennifer Goodland, Publisher & Historian

Jennifer Goodland brings her expertise in American history and her commitment to publishing works that illuminate overlooked aspects of our past. Her insights into the historical context of the Highland Clearances, the Gilded Age, and the dispossession of Indigenous peoples will enrich our understanding of how Land Shadows engages with these crucial historical moments.

We look forward to a rich and thoughtful discussion!