About the Book

Book: The Caregiver at Wounded Knee (Enduring Hope Book 4)

Author: Debby Lee

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction

Release Date: February, 2026

Past and Present Collide on the Railway

When life seems weighed down by challenges, there are always pillars of enduring hope and love to be discovered.

Lily Mae Dodge flees Wyoming by night to find her mother, who sent her west on an orphan train ten years ago. After she’s arrested in Chicago, help comes from a man with a rare vision impairment whom she only just met on a train. Francis Basnett is a roustabout for the famous Hagenbeck-Wallace circus, where he helps Lily gain employment. Their friendship grows into more, and it seems Lily is closer than ever to finding her mother. . .until the night a rogue troop train slams into the stalled circus train, killing dozens and splintering hope.

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About the Author

Debby Lee was raised in the cozy little town of Toledo, Washington. She has been writing since she was a small child, and has written several novels, but never forgets home. The Northwest Christian Writers Association and Romance Writers of America are two organizations that Debby enjoys being a part of. As a self professed nature lover, and an avid listener of 1960’s folk music, Debby can’t help but feel like a hippie child who wasn’t born soon enough to attend Woodstock. She wishes she could run barefoot all year long, but often does anyway in the grass and on the beaches in her hamlet that is the cold and rainy southwest Washington. During football season, Debby cheers on the Seattle Seahawks along with legions of other devoted fans. She’s also filled with wanderlust and dreams of visiting Denmark, Italy, and Morocco someday.

More from Debby

A crime against humanity occurred more than one-hundred years ago, a massacre that still resonates, and haunts people to this day. I’m referring to the massacre at Wounded Knee Creek, the slaying of hundreds of men, women and children, their lifeless bodies left on the frozen ground surrounding this small, winding body of water.

In writing my novel, The Caregiver at Wounded Knee, I traveled to the Pine Ridge Reservation in southwest South Dakota. In late April, the grasslands had not yet drank enough water or basked in enough sun to turn themselves green. Even so, I was taken in by the evocative beauty of the land. I noted the rolling hills that seemed to stretch on and on as if they wished to reach out and touch the tip of eternity.

As I drove to the site of the massacre I passed White Clay Creek. My characters, Rose and Nathaniel have a picnic along the banks of this creek. It’s the place where Rose flees to after witnessing the massacre, where she struggles to cope with the traumatic aftermath. Thankfully, Rose and Nathaniel create more happy memories there.

I included two real people in my novel, Doctor Charles Eastman and Elaine Goodale. Dr. Eastman by the way; was a real person, his Indian name being Ohiyesa. He was educated in the east and graduated from medical school. He married Elaine Goodale, a school teacher from Massachusetts. Together they operated a clinic in the community of Pine Ridge and were in many scenes throughout my novel.

When I reached the site where the massacre occurred, I couldn’t help but notice how big of an area the site encompassed. The creek itself surprised me. It wasn’t as deep or wide as I thought it would be and the banks leading to the water were fairly steep in some places. It looked serene and almost peaceful, but I thought, oh if those waters could talk.

I stood on a hilltop where I’m told a Catholic church had once stood and I gazed across the plateau below where the Lakota people were camped. I tried to picture the area where the soldiers were stationed, along with their Hotchkiss guns, which looked like small cannons to me. What went through the hearts and minds of the Lakota people?

I tried to imagine how the stomachs of Rose and those of her tribe were knotted with hunger, how cold they were as the icy wind swept over the land, how frightened they must have been as they were surrounded by soldiers with, Lord knows, what kind of nefarious intentions.

And I cried. I more than cried. I wept. I shed what felt like a gallon of tears for the injustice perpetrated against this tribe, for native people everywhere.

The military was confiscating the Lakota weapons, when gunfire ensued. Hundreds of women and children fell, wounded, dying, or dead. It’s been said they were simply caught in the crossfire.

And yet the body of a woman, who was shot in the back, was found by Dr. Eastman more than a mile from the site. Likely chased down and shot by 7^th Cavalry. Eight or nine young schoolboys, who were returning to boarding school, were playing on a slope, nearby. They were no older than ten. They were all were shot dead. An estimated 300 Lakota men, women and children were killed; compared to 31 Army soldiers, many who died from friendly fire.

After the massacre the bodies of the dead were buried in a mass grave at the top of a small hill. I added a scene where Rose and her brother visit the site to pay their respects. It wasn’t easy for her to return to the scene of such trauma, but in her mind, it was necessary.

The long rectangle shaped grave is now outlined with concrete and is surrounded by resting places of many other members of the Lakota tribe. A monument has been placed there, engraved with the names of many of the victims.

There are signs on the Pine Ridge Reservation offering directions to those who want to visit the site. If you’re ever passing through, I recommend a stop there. I know I will be forever changed by the time I spent traversing this hallowed ground.

Interview with the Author

1)Which character did you connect to best in this book?

I think I related to both Rose the most. She’d been wounded by someone who gave her a warped perception of Christianity. Sadly, I think most Christians have experienced this in their faith. Rose also struggled with walking in two worlds. I am biracial, and have struggled with this in many areas of my life. Though Rose is not biracial, she spent most of her childhood in a residential school, where she was essentially immersed in White culture. When she returned to her reservation as an adult, her views clashed with a loved one who fiercely hung on to the traditional Lakota ways.

2)Which part of the book was the most difficult to write?

I struggled to write the scenes where Rose faces her past. She had to question everything she believed about Christianity and open her eyes to what faith really means and learn to forgive the person who wounded her. Those scenes were both grueling and healing, too. Though the words flowed onto the page at lightning speed, I could hard see my computer screen because my vision was so blurred by my tears.

3)What is your vacation spot?

I have wanderlust, so picking one vacation spot won’t be easy. I like visiting cities, but my husband prefers a more country setting. I’ll tell you about one that means the most to me. When my husband and I were married, we didn’t get a real honeymoon due to lack of finances, childcare and time. So, on our 25^th anniversary, we renewed our vows and then spent a week Anchorage Alaska. Anchorage offered us the conveniences of city life, restaurants and gift shops, with the opportunities to experience the countryside as well. We loved the wide open spaces, the views of rivers, forests, and wildlife. We even saw a grizzly bear while walking along a road at Mt. Denali, and yes, the thought of how fast could I run, did cross my mind. Thankfully, we made it back to our rented vehicle-without having to run for it.

4)What are you reading right now?

What is a Girl Worth by Rachel Denhollander

5)Describe your view as you’re sitting in your writing chair.

I’ve written at many different places, cars, airports, Starbucks, but the one with the prettiest view, is my upstairs office. My writing desk is next to window where I could view a field that was surrounded by trees. In the summer, I would crack open the window and let the breeze in. When it was raining I’d watch the raindrops splash against the paned glass. I haven’t spent time writing in my office for awhile, but I hope to do so again, soon.