Lost Nation (Adventure) [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Jeffrey Lent (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2, 2003

A New York Times Bestselling Author

A man known only as Blood guides an oxcart of rum toward the wild country high in New Hampshire. A man of learning and wisdom with a secret past that has scorched his soul, Blood sets forth to establish himself as a trader.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In his second novel, Lost Nation, Jeffrey Lent follows Blood, a mysterious rogue attempting to make a new life for himself in Indian Stream, an ungoverned territory in 19th-century northern New Hampshire. Intending to start a trading business, Blood brings with him rum, supplies, and Sally, a 16-year-old girl he won in a card game from the madam of a brothel. A rugged "man of contradictions," Blood is learned and occasionally kind, yet capable of considerable cruelty and violence. Rumors quickly circulate in Indian Stream regarding his troubled past, and Blood is made a scapegoat when conflicts escalate in the area following his arrival. As Blood's history is gradually revealed, it becomes clear that his only chance at redemption is through confrontation.

Demonstrating his gift for narration, Lent has created a rich and entertaining novel from this somewhat familiar outline, filled with well-developed characters and stark, evocative descriptions. In its epic, unflinching style and omniscient voice, Lent's prose is reminiscent of Cormac McCarthy and Faulkner, to whom he is often compared. Wolves, scoundrels, and barbaric natives abound, and Lent never shies away from the gritty, realistic detail appropriate for the novel's harsh setting. Though light on profundities, Lost Nation should offer readers many engaging reasons to return. --Ross Doll --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

While the classic western naturally concentrates on the West, there were pockets in the East that were as wild as Dodge City, and Lent has found one in his second novel. Northern New Hampshire in 1838 was a long way from Nathaniel Hawthorne's civilized Boston. The ominously self-named Mr. Blood trails a mysterious past into the area, bringing "twin hogsheads of black Barbados rum," some casks of gunpowder and a 16-year-old whore named Sally whom he purchased in Portland, Maine. When Blood opens his tavern, he warns Sally to be wary of the clientele, which is good advice. Trappers, outlaws and Indians wreak havoc on each other in the cold wilderness. When the high sheriff of Coos County decides to bring a little law and order to the region, he and his men are ambushed. While Blood tries to mediate a truce, his past catches up with him in the person of two boys who have come from down south, Fletcher and Cooper. Unbeknownst to Blood, these are his sons. Fletcher falls for Sally, and when Blood is arrested by a Canadian force for complicity in the murder of a French-Canadian trader, Sally goes to Fletcher for help. Lent's novel strains under the stylistic influence of Cormac McCarthy, making its way in long sentences with a paucity of commas and a surfeit of gore: "Crane had been bound hand and foot, his arms tight to his sides, and buried up to his neck in a small beaver bog that was boiling with mosquitoes and deerflies. Very precisely his eyelids had been cut away." However, it tells a rousing tale that will surely please the readers of his first, bestselling novel, In the Fall.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 654 pages
• Publisher: Thorndike Press; 1 edition (February 2, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786249811
• ISBN-13: 978-0786249817
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.5 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #835,879 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jeffrey Lent Is Here To Stay, April 21, 2002

By 

taking a rest - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Lost Nation (Hardcover)

The first novel by this author was entitled, "In The Fall", and was exceptional. It was also his first work. Whatever he was to offer readers on his second effort would not only have to compete with his first, but would also have to demonstrate the depth of his talent. Critics would be looking for the sophomore jinx or the opportunity to label him a one hit wonder. "Lost Nation", is another extremely fine piece of writing that is unique, it does not rely on any repetition or formula from his first work. Quite to the contrary the cadence of this work is distinct from, "In The Fall", the dialogue is structured differently, at times almost a staccato exchange. I think the author deserves credit for not repeating what he has done in the past; his works to date has been wide and deep.

"Many people are cruel given the chance." That quote is from his first book and to the extent his two works share commonality of perspective, "Lost Nation" embraces this idea as well. I wrote the following words about his previous work almost two years ago to the day. They applied to, "In The Fall", and they apply to, "Lost Nation". The writer I thought of when enjoying this work was John Steinbeck. The same way "The Grapes Of Wrath" stays with you years after it was read, or "East Of Eden" or "Cannery Row" lingers, this book will do the same. This is a story you will remember in detail, these are characters whose names you will recall, this caliber of book is why I read. "In The Fall" is the first book I have read in years that I believe will be a true classic in time. "Instant Classic" is a contradiction in terms. A classic has to age, to endure, to continue to be relevant, this work has all the necessary credentials, and in abundance.

The book begins in 1838 and concludes in 1896. Unlike his first book this is not a tale that methodically works its way through three generations. Much of the work is contained in a fairly brief span of time which is not a negative just an observation. This is also a story filled with characters that are quick to hate, accuse, and at best often have an uneasy and fragile relationship with their peers. The author's New Hampshire is a state with a piece of territory that is orphaned, neither this man's nor another's, neither of The United States nor Canada. These pioneers are determined yet their hold on their land and work is doubtful; they are subjected to the laws of two masters who only appear to inflict damage and recrimination.

When authority is taken by the settlers themselves the brittle equilibrium of their world is threatened. Violence is first tangential to the community but ultimately escalates to a point that actions taken will determine the community's future. A character who is easily judged when the story begins, is eventually shown as a man who is a philosopher, self-centered, focused, and a man who can express himself with eloquence, and in French, Greek, and Latin as well. He is like the book; Mr. Lent shares enough familiarity of time and place and of persons to get his readers settled, and then reveals his own tale with characters that are not one dimensional clichés you have met countless times before, rather his own people placed in his place and time.

If you missed, "In The Fall", add both books to your reading list. If you have enjoyed this man's work before, you are sure to enjoy his world once again.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Wild, Wild North......, January 16, 2003

By 

Luan Gaines "luansos" (Dana Point, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Lost Nation (Hardcover)

This latest effort by Jeffrey Lent escapes traditional confines in the service of an innovative writing style. Lost Nation challenges the accepted format of his first novel, unrestricted by conventional standards, more edgy and jagged, yet unlike stream-of-consciousness, with an overpowering sense of immediacy.

When Blood tethers child-prostitute Sally to the back of his cart and pushes off from Maine toward the vast northern wilderness, his intent is a simple life carved from the unyielding soil of a remote settlement. Blood is singular in purpose, beholden to no man, almost primal in his response to indifferent surroundings. Sally is but an opportunity, a commodity to be bartered as the need arises. Lent draws Blood in coarse, primitive strokes, a fearsome man who lacks the nuances of civilized society. Sally, as well, is spare and quick, by necessity ever watchful. As they adapt to the rigors of the journey north toward Canada's challenging landscape, their tentative relationship is defined less by personality than circumstance and immediate need. Over time, the blunt manner in which Blood discloses himself to Sally binds the story in subtle threads of tension. Can Lent sustain the impetus of this tale throughout? Yes, and he does so consistently. The world Sally and Blood inhabit is laced with imminent danger, the threat of the unknown never farther away than the trees that ring the rough-hewn tavern/trading post where Blood finally settles.

Peopled with pioneers, ideologues and misfits, the families settled before Blood and Sally on the land, for all their civilized pretensions, often seem to circle the trader and his young helper like a pack of hungry wolves waiting for the opportunity to strike. Blood remains neutral, in reality more moral than the other settlers, serving his customers with dispassionate regard. Always an outcast, this driven but damaged man becomes a target of their discontent. Aside from his personal demons, Blood remains a sympathetic character throughout, scarred by his past actions and sentenced to live out the agonizing years ahead, a self-inflicted endeavor of repentance. Meanwhile, Sally, her spirit newly awakened, begins to raise her head, less fearful of an intolerant and brutal environment. Blood's uncommon strength allows her to consider a life other than one constricted by survival. The plot moves inexorably towards a violent conclusion, a drama of treachery, betrayal, passion, loyalty, loss and redemption.

In Lost Nation, Jeffrey Lent has hit his stride as an author, with powerful, confident prose that rarely disappoints and frequently surprises with moments of unexpected tenderness. His novel is an insightful journey into the heart of darkness, limned with courage and a commitment to the enlightenment of shared grace.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Majestic Saga of Nationhood, May 4, 2002

By 

Marvin Minkler "North Star Monthly" (St. Johnsbury, VT United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lost Nation (Hardcover)

In 1829 both the United States and Cnada claimed the northernmost part of the state of New Hampshire. A hardscrabble lot had settled this virgin Connecticut Lake region in the late 1700's. They had heard stories told about it from the returning Rogers Rangers, who had hunted and trapped the area. The Rangers had discovered spring-fed bogs and brooks that rickled down out ot the mountains to create the Fourth Connecticut Lake. It fed into the Third, which fed into the Second, then the First Connecticut Lake. Not far south from its beginnings, the Connecticut River became a major one, on it's way over 400 miles south to the ocean. The Rangers had told tales of warmer weather, large meadows, abundant game, and fine hunting and fishing. An isolated land up for grabs. A homesteader only had to clean five acres, build a home, work the roads, and the property was his.
Folks were slow to move up there though, because there was not an established border with Canada. A Settler could shoot a dear on the United States side, but not be sure if it fell in Canada or the U.S. A trapper could run his lines in both the U.S. and Canada and never be sure what country they were in. Although there was a customs house in Canaan, VT., catle smuggling and norder disputes were common. Soon rowdy lawbreakers and steely-eyed men on the run from their past began to migrate north the the Indian Stream Territory, as it came to be known. Eventually there were houses, a sawmill, tavern and a gristmill, but so much bad feeling grew between the settlers, the New Hampshire government, and the Canadians that on July 9, 1833 the settlers met at the Center School and declared their independence from both. They drew up a constitution to serve them until it was decided under which government they really did belong. The people of Indian Stream were tired of being taxed by both countries. They came up with their own flag, money, stamps, and government. This upstart nation declared no taxes at all, and a General Assembly was made up of the entire voting populations.
It worked quite well for a while, but there were too many unsavory characters in the territory. Kidnappings, knife fights, raids back and forth. Eventually shots were fired from both sides and some blood was she. The New Hampsire Militia invaded Indian Stream Republic, and in just three years the nation came to an end.
It is in this wild untamed Indian Stream country, high in the New Hampshire wilderness, where the luckless and outlawed tried to make a stand, that author Jeffrey Len sets his extraordinary new saga, "Lost Nation." The New York Times best-selling author of the critically acclaimed first novel, "In The Fall", has written a majestic saga of individualism and nationhood. As rich in character and plot, as the black dirt soil along the lakes of the North Country.
"Lost Nation," inroduces the reader to a man known only as Blood. He is a man of contradictions. Both wise and learned, but brutal and withdrawn. From over the White Mountains he comes with an oxcart filled with black Barbados rum and supplies, a hugh loyal dog, and trailing behind them and the wagon, a barefoot and afraid, grimy young girl named Sally. Blood had purchased her from a gin-sot bawd in Portland, in a seamy barroom over a game of cards. Although Sally has been abused both physically and mentally by the men who use her, a fierce independence flows in her veins and she sets her course behind Blood's hobnailed boots, for his is all she knows.
After Blood and Sally arrive in Lost Nation he builds a tavern, and it soon becomes the meeting place and waering hole for the men of the settlement. It also becomes a place for Sally to set up her business in a tiny back bedroom. She slowly learns to cook, tend a garden and wander the beauty of the land. Gradually Sally begins to see something of a future for her misery filled young life.
Blood becomes a mediator of sorts. Although he is determined to stay aloof, happy to count his coin and prosper, he soon finds himself confronting ghosts from his past, and being blamed for the troubles facing Lost Nation. In this wild, untamed part of New Hampshire, we are introduced along the way to an array of fully developed and sometimes sympathetic characters that have their distinct voices, and dreams for the land they have tried to tame. The reader cares for these people as they endure the figid winter storms, while they toil and sweat to duild something that they can call their own, while swiping ineffectively at the swarms of gnats and flies encircling their heads in summer. The pages turn easily and there are many powerful moments and rich rewards awaiting the reader.
The author, who lives in Vermont with his wife and daughters, writes with authentic realism, and some scenes are not for the faint hearted. This was a hard land, peopled by hard men and women, and the pistol shot, flash of a knife, and horrific revenge take by some chills the bones. Thoug vivid, the realism is tempered by sudden images of warmth and pure poetry. Mr. Lent
writes some passages that take the breath away with their tender grace. His language is elegant and of the times he writes about. The prose is remarkable in its wisom and precision. Blood and Sally are two damaged souls, outwardly shunning the caring, healing touch, but longing and needing it so very much.
Jeffrey Lent has written a unique American mosaic. He is New England's Cormac McCarthy. A marvelous and provocative work of fiction, that will endure as long as the mighty Connecticut Rvier twists its way south to the sea.
To find out more about Indian Stream Republic, I highly recommened Daniel Doan''s classic "Indian Stream Republic: Settling a New England Frontier, 1785-1842. University Press of New England. It is scrupulously researched and beautifully written, with maps and the names of all the first settlers in Indian Stream, many who's decendents still work the land in Northern New Hampshire and Vermont.

Marvin Minkler of the North Star Monthly