What do you think?
Rate this book
Blush
Paperback
First published June 1, 1988
2 people want to read
About the author
Colin Sargent
4 books25 followersColin Sargent is a playwright and author of three books of poetry. A Maine resident, he is also the founding publisher of Portland Magazine. Museum of Human Beings is his first novel. According to Publishers Weekly, "Playwright Sargent's debut novel is a stylish look at the fate of Sacagawea's baby son, Jean Baptiste Charbonneau An impressively rounded portrait of the laid-back, introspective, nomadic Baptiste, this novel will satisfy fans of American history." "Heart-wrenching"--Smithsonian Institute
Authors on Museum of Human Beings
"Yikes, there's a market for this. It's timely, it has feminist appeal, it has race appeal, it's so American. The direction of American Literature has been from the East Coast to the West. There's a new trend reversing this, a trend that whispers, 'Somehow we are weary itinerants. Somehow the dream has failed.' Museum of Human Beings is an unraveling of the patriarchy. It's spooky like Hawthorne with a Toni-Morrison-like sense of place. It's a huge and important story."
Joan Connor, AWP Award winner, for History Lessons
"In pulsating prose that triggers all of the senses, Museum of Human Beings takes us on a spirited journey to discover the far-flung life of Sacagawea's son. Smart, imaginative, and historically-informed, this novel contains heartbreaks of many dimensions, all of them believable and thought-provoking. It captivated me, start to finish."
Bunny McBride, Pulitzer nominee and author of Women of the Dawn and Molly Spotted Elk: A Penobscot in Paris
"Magic. There is real heart to Museum of Human Beings, real depth and humanity, and in addition a plot that propels this reader forward. Full of polish and authority, as well as a story both cared-about and clearly imagined. I stand to applaud his talent. He's the real thing."
Jack Driscoll, How Like an Angel
"Colin Sargent's inspired novel, Museum of Human Beings, is the fast-paced, historically well informed saga of Baptiste, the son of famous Lewis & Clark Expedition Guide Sacagawea. It is a uniquely American tale of Baptiste's search for reconciliation, understanding, and a place in the scheme of things. Whether in St. Louis, the far West, Europe, or the Levant, the story rings true, as do the colorful, complex characters who inhabit the Museum of Human Beings. This is a first-rate piece of writing that never lets up and never lets the reader down."
William David Barry, Pyrrhus Venture
"A grand and interesting romp through history, an intriguing, masterfully written novel about a little-known person in history, Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, the child of Sacagawea."
Michael C. White, Soul Catcher
Playwright Sargent's debut novel is a stylish look at the fate of Sacagawea's baby son, Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, the first Native American to tour Europeas a curiosity and entertainment, of course. Twenty-four-year-old Sacagawea, though married, becomes William Clark's lover while helping guide the Lewis and Clark Expedition; after she dies on the trail, Clark adopts her son, Baptiste. Soon, Clark establishes his home in St. Louis, as well as a garish museum dedicated to his expedition, and sets to educating his new son. Soon, Baptiste is traveling Europe under the protection of Duke Paul, a cruel man who, when he isn't exhibiting the boy to royal courts, repeatedly rapes young Baptiste. Six years later, Baptiste returns to America (astonishingly, still accompanied by Paul), where he confronts Clark over his mother's mysterious death; unsatisfied and restless, Baptiste heads west and finds work as a fur trapper, an Army scout and gold prospector. Increasingly haunted by his mother, Baptiste revisits her in memories and visions that lend themselves nicely to Sargent's lyrical prose. With historical cameos (Beethoven, Kit Carson, Washington Irving) and an impressively rounded portrait of the laid-back, introspective, nomadic Baptiste, this novel will satisfy fans of American history. (Nov.)
Publishers Weekly
"
Authors on Museum of Human Beings
"Yikes, there's a market for this. It's timely, it has feminist appeal, it has race appeal, it's so American. The direction of American Literature has been from the East Coast to the West. There's a new trend reversing this, a trend that whispers, 'Somehow we are weary itinerants. Somehow the dream has failed.' Museum of Human Beings is an unraveling of the patriarchy. It's spooky like Hawthorne with a Toni-Morrison-like sense of place. It's a huge and important story."
Joan Connor, AWP Award winner, for History Lessons
"In pulsating prose that triggers all of the senses, Museum of Human Beings takes us on a spirited journey to discover the far-flung life of Sacagawea's son. Smart, imaginative, and historically-informed, this novel contains heartbreaks of many dimensions, all of them believable and thought-provoking. It captivated me, start to finish."
Bunny McBride, Pulitzer nominee and author of Women of the Dawn and Molly Spotted Elk: A Penobscot in Paris
"Magic. There is real heart to Museum of Human Beings, real depth and humanity, and in addition a plot that propels this reader forward. Full of polish and authority, as well as a story both cared-about and clearly imagined. I stand to applaud his talent. He's the real thing."
Jack Driscoll, How Like an Angel
"Colin Sargent's inspired novel, Museum of Human Beings, is the fast-paced, historically well informed saga of Baptiste, the son of famous Lewis & Clark Expedition Guide Sacagawea. It is a uniquely American tale of Baptiste's search for reconciliation, understanding, and a place in the scheme of things. Whether in St. Louis, the far West, Europe, or the Levant, the story rings true, as do the colorful, complex characters who inhabit the Museum of Human Beings. This is a first-rate piece of writing that never lets up and never lets the reader down."
William David Barry, Pyrrhus Venture
"A grand and interesting romp through history, an intriguing, masterfully written novel about a little-known person in history, Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, the child of Sacagawea."
Michael C. White, Soul Catcher
Playwright Sargent's debut novel is a stylish look at the fate of Sacagawea's baby son, Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, the first Native American to tour Europeas a curiosity and entertainment, of course. Twenty-four-year-old Sacagawea, though married, becomes William Clark's lover while helping guide the Lewis and Clark Expedition; after she dies on the trail, Clark adopts her son, Baptiste. Soon, Clark establishes his home in St. Louis, as well as a garish museum dedicated to his expedition, and sets to educating his new son. Soon, Baptiste is traveling Europe under the protection of Duke Paul, a cruel man who, when he isn't exhibiting the boy to royal courts, repeatedly rapes young Baptiste. Six years later, Baptiste returns to America (astonishingly, still accompanied by Paul), where he confronts Clark over his mother's mysterious death; unsatisfied and restless, Baptiste heads west and finds work as a fur trapper, an Army scout and gold prospector. Increasingly haunted by his mother, Baptiste revisits her in memories and visions that lend themselves nicely to Sargent's lyrical prose. With historical cameos (Beethoven, Kit Carson, Washington Irving) and an impressively rounded portrait of the laid-back, introspective, nomadic Baptiste, this novel will satisfy fans of American history. (Nov.)
Publishers Weekly
"
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
No one has reviewed this book yet.