“James N. Barnes has written a fascinating history of the Cherokee people, highlighting their strength and resilience through the eyes of his own Indigenous ancestors. This carefully documented and engagingly illustrated book will be a crucial source for scholars and an inspiration for anyone seeking to support a self-directed Indigenous future for the Cherokee Nation.”

“James Barnes’s book is hugely significant because unlike past chronicles he captures in vivid detail the surprisingly rich culture of the Cherokees, he writes a deeply researched new history of broken promises by the federal and state governments, and through Annie’s family he brings to life both the suffering and resilience of her people when they are forcibly driven off their lands. Illustrated with rare photos, paintings, maps, and original documents, there is no book about the history of Native Americans that rivals this one.”

“Annie Spirit sheds new light on the tragic history of the Cherokee Nation, as well as their uncelebrated contributions to American thought and culture. The past is brought to life through the author’s indefatigable research into his ancestry, which turns this sweeping account of political inequities and social resilience into an intimate tale of a great-great grandson’s search for identity.”

“Cherokee History and the Spirit Family will be of interest to many, especially since it covers so many extended families. Cherokee history is complicated and alluring, while sad and auspicious. This book includes many touching events that affected the author's family from the beginning. The history it covers from the 1730s to 1910 illustrates the deep resilience of the Cherokee people.”

“Cherokee History and the Spirit Family is a splendid account of the author’s Cherokee family and how their lives illuminate Cherokee history from the nineteenth century to the present. The work centers especially on his great-great grandmother Annie Spirit’s life from 1826 to 1910, and of her ancestors. His work is especially unique in its meticulous research in both family history and in the history of the Cherokee Nation. The author provides both a broad historical canvas for understanding Cherokee history, and an intimate view of family lives during the critical periods of removal, the Civil War, and Allotment. Gracefully written, the book…is a genuine contribution to Cherokee history and a window into the lives of Cherokee families.”