2022 Historical Fiction Company Book of the Year semifinalist  2021 American Fiction Awards winner
2021 International Book Awards finalist

Born to a French trader and a Lenape woman. Reared by Quakers. As the French & Indian War rages, one man strives for peace—between Pennsylvania and its Indian tribes, and between his own heart and mind.

As 1756 dawns, Isaac Lukens leaves the Pennsylvania wilderness after two years with the Lenape people. He’s failed to find the families of his birth parents, a French trader and a Lenape woman. Worse, the tribe he’s lived with, having rejected his peacemaking efforts, now ravages frontier settlements in retaliation. When he arrives in the Quaker community where he was reared, questions taunt him: Who is he—white man or Lenape? And where does he belong?

Elisabeth Alden, Isaac’s dearest childhood friend, is left to tend her young siblings alone upon her father’s death. Despite Isaac’s promise to care for her and the children, she battles resentment toward him for having left, while an unspeakable tragedy and her discordant courtship with a prominent Philadelphian weigh on her as well.

Elisabeth must marry or lose guardianship of her siblings, and her options threaten the life with her and the children that Isaac has come to love. Faced with Elisabeth’s hesitancy to marry, the prospect of finding his family at last, and the opportunity to assist in the peace process between Pennsylvania and its Indian tribes, Isaac must determine where—and with whom—he belongs.

“[A] well-researched, captivating depiction of the Pennsylvania Quakers and the Lenape in 1756. Distler has captured period vocabulary and scene descriptions of not only rural settings but also Philadelphia during the era of the French and Indian War. . . . The book would delight lovers of U.S. history.”

—Barbara Leutke, Friends Journal

“Beautifully written with engaging characters, Distler portrays the historical setting in vivid, accurate strokes, weaving real events into the characters’ stories quite believably, particularly in how deeply Isaac was torn between two worlds and in Elisabeth’s struggles with past abuse. The historical notes are also interesting and helpful in illuminating the context of the Pennsylvania Quakers during this period. I’ve extensively researched the Lenape during the French and Indian War, and I appreciate how Distler presents all sides in the conflict realistically and with sympathy. The story’s final resolution was heartwarming. I highly recommend A Cord of Three Strands!”

—J. M. Hochstetler, author of the American Patriot Series
and coauthor of the Northkill Amish Series

“Christy Distler has written a beautiful and heartwarming story and I was pulled in by the way she explores the worlds of the characters. The relationships between the characters are intelligently written, allowing their humanity to come out clearly in the narrative. . . . The writing is strong and the plot so skillfully handled that it feels real; emotions are well captured, conflict deftly written at all levels, and the characters so richly developed that readers can easily relate to them. A compelling story with unforgettable characters.”

—Gobi Jane, Readers’ Favorite

“Beautifully written with engaging characters, A Cord of Three Strands is a historical romance rich with period details. Distler leaves you turning the pages until the end.“

—Tanya Eavenson, award-winning author of The Rescue