Undercut, A Novel

Told from multiple third-person points of view, Undercut is a literary historical novel about deforestation, colonial resource extraction, and the resilience shown by the Wá∙šiw (Washoe) People, who have managed Lake Tahoe’s environment since the beginning of time.

Set in Lake Tahoe, California/Nevada, during the 1860s logging era, Undercut fictionalizes the real-life devastating conflicts between Euro-American loggers, silver miners, Mormon colonizers, and the Indigenous Wá∙šiw People of Lake Tahoe:

Dahámugáyugiʔ is a young Wá∙šiw woman determined to stop miners and loggers from destroying her homelands. When her actions cause her husband’s capture, she opts to sabotage the logging industry while he attempts to engage in settler politics. Both are putting their relationship and lives in danger.

Joshua Shipp, a white logger struggling to fit in, is a meek young man crushed by the weight of his brother’s murder. When he realizes the person responsible is the key to his future wealth, he must decide what is more important: family or fortune. Because in 1860 in America’s largest silver boomtown, he can’t have both.

Set at Lake Tahoe (California/Nevada) during the pre-Civil War year of 1860, everyone is struggling to find their place in an ever-changing American West. Some, however, end up shifting the fate of the entire region.

While writing this novel, I consulted with Tahoe historians and members of the Wá∙šiw community who provided character names, cultural consultations, sensitivity and beta readings. This project has been approved by the Washoe Cultural Resource Advisory Council.  

Author’s Note

Undercut is not yet finished! I am currently seeking agent representation. My goal is to share Lake Tahoe’s history of deforestation with the thousands of residents and millions of visitors each year. Subscribe to my newsletter to learn more.

I hope this novel promotes dialogues around cultural and environmental history and engages readers in a deeper understanding of our historical relationships to place and the devastating effects of colonialism has had throughout the American West. If you’d like to learn more about the Wá·šiw People, also known as the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California, visit washoetribe.us.