Few writers portray Native American life and history as richly, authentically, and insightfully as Robert J. Conley, an important voice of the Cherokee past. The novels in his Real People series combine powerful characters, gripping plots, and vivid descriptions of tradition and mythology to preserve Cherokee culture and history.

The Long Way Home, Volume Five in the Real People series, is Deadwood Lighter's story. An aging priest forced to serve as interpreter for the powerful conquistador Don Hernando De Soto, Deadwood Lighter attempts to escape and warn the Real People of Soto's coming.