From School Library Journal
Grade 5-9?Fourteen-year-old Pierre La Page, who was first introduced in The Broken Blade (Delacorte, 1997), works for the North West Company as a voyageur, a member of an expedition that transports goods and furs by canoe. Here, he travels far into the French Canadian wilderness with the rest of the crew, helps to build a trading post, and spends the winter trapping. His journey is one of endurance and personal growth, as he discovers much about himself, his fellow voyageurs, and the lifestyle and customs of the Ojibwe people. While the story gets off to a slow start, characters become more clearly drawn as events unfold and touches of suspense and humor are added to the plot. Readers are introduced to Beloit, a seasoned voyageur who can be arrogant and spiteful toward the men but kind to an orphaned bear cub and loving toward an Ojibwe woman he meets. Pierre is realistically depicted as a young man coming of age, who looks to the captain of the expedition as a father figure. Historical and cultural information is nicely woven into the plot, and the story never loses momentum. The scenes with Pierre and the son of the Ojibwe chief tracking in the forest are nicely written, juxtaposing the beauty and quiet of the natural world with the artificial world created by the crew members during their winter stay. A solid read that won't disappoint fans of the first book.?Janet Gillen, Great Neck Public Library, NY
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Kirkus Reviews
The young hero of Durbin's The Broken Blade (1997) returns in this engaging sequel. Now 14, Pierre La Page is a seasoned voyageur, accustomed to rising at four in the morning and spending the day paddling for the North West Company. While Durbin's previous novel functioned as a coming-of-age tale, this outing tell of Pierre's adventures the following year, when he learns that the pretty young Kennewah girl he befriended has died, along with her family, of smallpox. Although Pierre grieves for his friend, he is surrounded by the big-hearted La Petite, the scholarly Commander McHenry, and the braggart-bully Jean Belot. When the crew builds a new trading post at Windigo Point, Pierre befriends a young Ojibwe named Red Loon, and learns English from the commander. Durbin packs his narrative with plenty of facts about how the Native Americans lived, as well as the voyageurs' preparations to survive the winter. Despite their best efforts, the crew is desperate for food, until Pierre and Red Loon shoot and kill a giant bull moose. In the novel's most surprising twist, Belot, who is killed by a gunshot wound, leaves his money to Pierre, so that he can continue his education. Although this story lacks the impact of the first one, it's well-written and atmospheric; with so many plot threads remaining, readers are almost assured of more adventures. (Fiction. 9-12) --
Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
