Customer Reviews

River Thieves

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Whether real or imagined I seem to be reading more work by writers and stories about Newfoundland. This is the first novel by Michael Crummey and, "River Thieves", is a very strong debut. The book has been compared to, "Cold Mountain", that I have not read, and to, "In The Fall", which I very much enjoyed. This work is not as sweeping a story as Jeffrey Lent's first book, however if you enjoy his writing you will enjoy this tale as well.

This story takes place primarily in the very early 19th Century although there are references to years that bracket the story. The atmosphere I take to be absolutely on point, as the author was borne and continues to live in the same settings on which his book takes place. This leap of faith is difficult to make when the reader has never been to the locale of the book, but Michael Crummey makes the presumption effortless.

The story is ostensibly about the demise of the, "Red Indians", or "The Beothuk". The reasons for the near extinction of these people is the result of the same effects felt throughout the Americas that settlers from Europe either brought with them, or practiced, disease or their desire to take the native population's land. Had the author restricted himself to this review of history, the book would have been too familiar. Instead the author gets deeply involved with a variety of players, and by sharing their stories reveals the fate of the Beothuk as well.

Included are settlers, criminals from England that have been transported, as well as the government officials that were the rule of law. The author also departs from attitudes and the people who hold and act on them. Governments have not been traditionally sympathetic to the indigenous people they found on new lands they claimed for King/Queen and country, Crummey changes that. He introduces, "Indians", which have become a part of the European community with a variety of results. And as he brings his tale to a close, it is not just governmental policy that shapes the fate of people and new nations, but often the people that hold a variety of positions, either governmental or in their communities, that can shape history as well.

The poet in Crummey is very much in evidence throughout this book. His prose (which makes use here of arcane words and expressions unique to Newfoundland, as well as some of the surviving nouns of the Beothuk language) is as strong and often bleak as the island itself in his narrative of the early 18th century inhabitants and their violent relationship with the (literally) red indians, the Beothuk.

Fact and fiction are seamlessly woven into a fascinating study of the bleak beauty of the place and the difficulties of the trapping/fishing lives of the residents--most of whom have found their way to the island from Great Britain. These "newcomers" are at great odds with the indigenous peoples: the Mi'kmaqs and the Beothuks; and the Mi'kmaqs consider themselves to be far superior to the Red Indians. The eternal pecking order.

What makes this book so fascinating, aside from its fully fleshed, very human cast of characters and the neverending labor of their daily lives (as well as the wretched weather), is the decimation and, ultimately, the complete eradication of the Beothuks. From the modern perspective, genocide is an ongoing horror. But for those arriving on foreign, North American shores, it was a matter of killing to stake a claim to the land, killing out of fear or contempt, but killing and killing until those with the most legitimate claim simply ceased to exist.

In dealing with many perspectives, the author gives us an insightful view of the rationales operating for every one of the characters in this book. It's a tour de force of collective viewpoints woven together to form an historical tapestry.

Beautifully written by a writer with great feeling for his characters and for history, wrenching and sad, River Thieves is a splendid book.
Most highly recommended.

I'm fascinated by Native American history, particularly that of the Beothuk people. I bought this book thinking that it would be a pretty straightforward novelization of the Beothuk, and was pleased to discover that it was a real page-turner. The characters were interesting and the landscapes well drawn. I would recommend it to fiction readers and scholars of Native American (or Native Canadian, I suppose) history.

In "River Thieves," which is set in the early nineteenth century, English and Irish settlers struggle to make a life in cold, harsh Newfoundland as trappers, fisherman, and other physically taxing jobs. Various encounters with the Beothuk (a/k/a "Red Indians" -- they apply red ochre to their skin) end tragically even though the expeditions start off as well-intentioned. Nearly all of the principles have led difficult lives, which reflect the extreme conditions under which they live.

In many ways, Michael Crummey has written an extraordinarily rich novel, which jumps around in time, compelling the reader to give his or her full concentration. Additionally, Crummey displays impressive knowledge concerning trapping and fishing skills, and the lives of the Newfoundland settlers and natives. He also focuses on detail, for instance, the influences of liquor, diseases, and destructive fire which all have the power to destroy individuals and their families (Crummey also covers incest, rape, and a dangerous abortion).

The book is very disturbing in its portrayal of 19th Century barbarism, which is not only directed against the Indians. Crummey, for example, devotes pages to the brutal methods of dealing with petty criminals in England. While reading the book, I could not help but become more appreciative of living in the twenty first century, even with all its problems.

I eagerly await Crummey's next novel, which let's hope, will be somewhat less depressing.

I've been a fan of Michael Crummey's poetry and stories for years and eagerly anticipated his first novel. I can't tell you how impressed I am by River Thieves. It's really a first-rate novel by an immensely talented writer. Crummey explores colonialism with a poet's keen eye. On top of that, River Thieves is simply a captivating read. Highly Recommended!

Michael Crummey's enjoyable story of the Beothuk is engaging, shocking, and full of well researched history. But, don't expect a textbook here, this is pure and fulfilling fiction.

To avoid restating the other review, this is a well-told story with some unfolding mystery and very fine use of language: strong nouns and verbs don't need the supporting cast of adjectives often used by other writers.

Definitely a recommended read. And, no, this is not a woman-only book: MEN, you'll definitely enjoy this.

Wonderfully amazing beautifully written story that deserves much more respectful handling in the translation to "Kindle speak." 5 stars for the book and 3 for the Kindle version which is littered through with distracting typos, misplaced italics and random symbols that appear from nowhere. It's shameful that no one gave such an absorbing and moving story a final read-through before publishing the Kindle edition.

"River Thieves" by Michael Crummey captures the landscape of Newfoundland with poetic brilliance. The characters are misty and intense. The plot is a wonderful mix of Newfoundland history, adventurer's biography and beach book. I can't wait for the sequel.

A wise adventure drama that will linger in your mind after you've read this sublime novel by an outstanding author. Like Wayne Johnston, Mr.Crummey have a deep love for this piercing cold Canadian state, and you will too after you read River Thieves.

River Thieves is that rare work that is both an historical recital (although not specifically a history) and a novel whose characters engage the reader. It is the history of the extinction of the Beothuk or "Red Indians", the aboriginal people of Newfoundland, but told around the edges. However, it is equally the story of the European settlers who are literally at sea in an ocean-girt territory so harsh that their struggle to survive is virtually daily, particularly in winter. Their prejudices are many. To an extent, their prejudices are directed toward each other (Irish versus English, Catholic versus Protestant), just as their is conflict among the aboriginals -- Beothuk versus Micmac and vice versa. However, the main action is between the whites and the Beothuk. Benign, but ill-conceived efforts on the part of the Britsh Crown and the Local Newfoundland Government to broker peace between Beothuks and the whites inevitably fail, with tragic results for the Beothuks who are themselves guilty of terrible atrocities. "Mary," a Beothuk woman carried off by the whites is a marvelous tragic character, a heroine of sorts. Her puzzlement at her life and her inability to articulate its nuances are emblematic of the fate of her people.