Starred review from September 1, 2017
Catton's (history, Univ. of Montana) narrative brings together three men who in many ways epitomize early 19th-century life on the U.S. and Canadian frontiers, where both geographical and social boundaries overlapped and were often blurred. Maj. Stephen Long, an officer in the U.S. Army, explored the reaches of the upper Mississippi River. Dr. John McLoughlin was a ranking official with Canada's Hudson's Bay Company. Captured by the Ojibwa as a child, John Tanner spent his life among the Ojibwa and Ottawa people, adopting their language and culture. The paths of these three men intersected in September 1823 at Rainy Lake House, a Hudson's Bay Company trading post. Catton chronicles each of their experiences, intertwining these accounts with facts about the fur trade, such as the competition between the Hudson's Bay Company and the North West Company. The author also covers the pressures exerted by a growing number of fur traders and geographic explorations, and how these missions impacted Native life and culture in the lands around the Great Lakes. VERDICT Catton's riveting story is exquisitely written and well-researched. A must-read for anyone interested in frontier history and recommended for all collections.--Patricia Ann Owens, formerly at Illinois Eastern Community Coll., Mt. Carmel
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