Customer Reviews

This Vast Land: A Young Man's Journal of the Lewis and Clark Expedition

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I bought several copies of this book to store away for Christmas presents for my grandchildren and other young friends....ages 7-12.
The book, in diary form, starts off well and is, actually, delightful reading.
Why the author(s)(I think Ambrose's family contributed to the final copy) decided to throw in totally inappropriate sexual scenes is beyond me.
The young man who is the protagonist of the story loses his virginity and impregnates a young Indian girl by the 4th or 5th chapter. The description of his sexual debut is frank and tasteless.
Now all I have to do is try to figure out what to do with 10 useless copies of what could have been a wonderful opportunity to learn American history in an interesting format.

I enjoyed this book as an inspiring look at the Lewis and Clark expedition and a good exploration of the savage versus civilized theme, but the sexual content detracts from the book in two ways.

First, ~This Vast Land~ seems aimed at young teens. It would have been ideal for this audience (I was hoping to assign it in class), but the sexual content makes it an inappropriate choice. I wouldn't stop my own children from reading it, but many parents would.

This is unfortunate because the sex seems entirely out of place. I would be surprised to find that any 18 year old in the turn of the 19th century would be comfortable writing in such detail about the motions and pleasures of his "member." Also, the book is written as Shannon's journal, which the character later writes he intends for his children. Even if we ignore historical sensibilities, who wants to give the kids a play-by-play about how dad and mom lost their virginity together?

So the inclusion of such frank sexual content is an odd choice that ultimately detracts from the book by forcing the reader out of the historical context and forcing the book out of its young-adult genre.

One other criticisms. The ending of the book contains an abrupt shift in tone from triumphant to melancholy that seems too contrived. Putting my two criticisms together, it seems that Ambrose was trying so hard to make his book more "serious" than genre fiction that he caused it to fail as genre fiction.

As an adult, I would first like to mention that this book has some brief sexual content that some parents may not find suitable for children. Overall, however, it is an engaging and informative glimpse into the Lewis and Clark expedition that left me wanting to know more, and wanting to travel the path myself. I found the diary style of storytelling an interesting one that led authenticity to the story as well as made it easier to read than some straightforward history texts. Of course, this is a fictionalized account, but I think it gives the reader a good idea of the conditions and feelings likely experienced by the Corps of Discovery. The language and even spelling and grammar are consistent with the time period and the education level of the narrator. I found this to be an exciting book that made you wonder what lay ahead, what the next discovery or encounter would bring. I do think this is a valuable book for younger readers, but it should be read with parental guidance due to the sexual content. I also think adult readers looking for an easier portal into the world of Lewis and Clark would enjoy this book as well.

We threw this book away and would not recommend this book to any young man due to too much sexual content.