The White Cheyenne brings readers into a richly layered world where history, identity, and survival collide.
In this Q&A, author Ann Kilgore discusses the inspirations behind Catherine’s character, the challenges of writing across cultures, and how personal experience and historical research shaped the novel’s depth and authenticity.
Catherine, or “K-Ox,” is such a complex, spirited narrator, often impulsive, yet deeply introspective. How did you find her voice?
Being a special education teacher of students with learning disabilities and behavioral issues allowed me to borrow from that experience. Children and adults can at times be comical. It is not a fun place for these people, so understanding it and dealing with it takes time and patience. So my “Catherine” is designed after children/adults with this disorder.
Catherine’s dual identity, a white girl raised Cheyenne, creates emotional and cultural tension throughout the novel. What drew you to explore this tension, and how did you approach it responsibly?
I was raised by a very strict father. I was forbidden to speak back or even speak my thoughts without angering him. So I lived a life of tension but also lived the life of respect for him and any adult. In my novel, Catherine had that strong will to WANT to stand up to the chief but also knew her place. That came from my own personal experience with my father.
The book touches on heavy historical themes: captivity, colonization, Manifest Destiny without preaching. What’s your hope for how readers, especially young readers, engage with these topics?
Our history is very important. It may not be a pretty past, but it is our past. I researched the incidents that happened in my book and felt the need to inform my readers. My book is fiction but also based on real historical moments of our past. I would want my readers to want to know more about our country’s history. I have dotted true facts throughout the book, and I hope it is just enough to make the reader want to know more.
Many readers have praised The White Cheyenne for offering a “fresh, feminine perspective” on the Western. Were you consciously reshaping or subverting genre traditions?
My book in any way was not to reshape or subvert genre traditions. I love reading western books of authors such as Louis L’amour, William Johnston, Larry McMurtry, Zane Grey, C.W. West and many other famous authors of the west. My book is meant for entertainment and I hope people are enjoying it.
Whether it’s a buffalo hunt or a quiet snowfall, the sensory detail throughout the novel is rich and immersive. Do you draw on specific memories of rural life when writing these scenes?
My ranch life I experienced is a part of the book, however, in south Texas we did not experience much snow. Therefore, the snow scenes in the book are based on other reads. Traveling through Colorado allowed my imaginative mine to dream what it would be like living in the mountains.
The ending hints at a possible sequel. Do you plan to revisit Catherine’s story? And if so, where might she go next?
At this time, I do not have a plan of a sequel to Catherine’s journey.
About Ann Hardcastle Kilgore:
Ann was raised on a South Texas ranch, and the country life is a part of her. There is nothing better than the quiet sounds of birds, cattle and howling coyotes. She knows this isn’t the life for lots of people, but it seems you can’t take the country out of the girl.
Ann is a mother of three children who are readers and writers. Though they did not pursue a career in writing, she is grateful they share the same talent. As a retired special education teacher, she often would make up stories and share them with her students. Since retirement, she and her husband live the quiet life near where she was raised. Her retirement has given her the time to do the things she enjoys and learn new things. Besides writing, she’s also learned to paint and play the piano. Of course, reading is something she’s always enjoyed.
