New Found Land: Lewis and Clark's Voyage of Discovery

by Allan Wolf, Max Grafe (Illustrator)

Follow Lewis and Clark and their crew on a perilous trek through the
uncharted West in this extraordinary debut novel.

I mean to tell you this story the only way I know how. That is to say, I will tell it like a river. It may meander here and there, but in the end it will always find its way to the sea.

Two hundred years ago, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark launched their wooden boats up the Missouri River in search of the illusory Northwest Passage, a journey that would capture the American imagination and help forge a young nation's identity. Now, in a riveting debut novel, Allan Wolf tells the story of this extraordinary voyage through the eyes of not only the famed pair but also several members of their self-named Corps of Discovery. Here, in powerful, lyrical language, is a medley of voices from a surprisingly diverse crew — from the one-eyed French Indian fiddler who pilots the boats to Clark's African American slave; from the young Shoshone woman who has a baby en route to Lewis's Newfoundland dog, a "seer" whose narrative resonates long after the book is closed.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Poetry, Young Adult, Fiction, American History, Novel In Verse, 19th Century

512 pages, Hardcover

First published August 19, 2004

About the author

A versatile writer, Allan Wolf's picture books, poetry collections, young adult novels, and nonfiction celebrate his love of research, history, science, and poetry. He is a Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalist, two-time winner of the North Carolina Young Adult Book Award, and recipient of New York’s Bank Street College Claudia Lewis Award for Poetry. Booklist placed Allan’s The Watch That Ends the Night, on its list of the 50 Best YA Books of All Time.

Wolf believes in the healing powers of poetry recitation and has committed to memory nearly a thousand poems.

His newest titles include: a historical novel, (Junius Leak and the Spiraling Vortex of Doom); a picture book (The Blanket Where Violet Sits); a poetry collection (The Gift of the Broken Teacup); and a graphic novel (The Vanishing of Lake Peigneur).

Reviews

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was amazing! It is told from the point of view of twelve different members of the Corps of Discovery, plus Capt. Lewis's newfoundland dog. While each of the human members of the expedition speaks in a sort of free verse poetry, the dog's point of view is written in regular prose. I thought this format was very accessible and refreshing to me.

While Wolf admits to taking many liberties with the character of each historical personage in this book, he gives each character a distinctive voice and unique insights into the events of the journey. The fact that he accomplishes this with the necessarily shorter chunks of text offered by the verse format is doubly rewarding to me. The prose voice of the dog also provides a unique, canine perspective, while also framing a somewhat objective context for the story.

For me, at least, it was a fast read, mostly becuase of the format. The maps for each section of the journey were invaluable to me, and the descriptions of the rivers and plains were vivid. The author also went to the trouble of including a sort of "whatever happened to" secction at the back of the book - I was surprised so many members of the expedition survived this awesome journey, only to meet early ends back home. Lewis' death was also imagined respectfully and without sensationalism.

The best thing I can say about this book is that it left me completely satisfied, but eager to learn more about these people and the expedition. What more could you ask?

[Mary Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Allan Wolf's multiple-perspective historical fiction verse novels!

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lyric yet accessible account of a journey I have often avoided reading about in the past. The multiple perspectives, while not entirely authentic offer some levity and keep the story engaging and entertaining. Could be used to inspire similar multiple perspective writing, or to engage fiction readers in a historical era/event.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love historical fiction, and I loved this book. You have to get used to the way it is written, but ultimately I loved it (short chapters mean you can read a chapter in the bathroom).

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever since I read Scott O'Dell's Streams to the River, River to the Sea in elementary school, I have been a huge fan of Sacajawea. That's why I picked up this book. On that front, I was definitely a bit disappointed, because Wolf casts her more as the Wise Indian trope and she really doesn't feature as much as the other people.

So why did I like the novel? Because even if it didn't do much for one of my heroes, it did a remarkable job of depicting both Lewis and Clark. Clark tends to be highly romanticized as a historical figure, but by including the voice of his slave York, Wolf pulls away that romance to make him just a flawed man, a product of his time with all of the casual racism that entailed. Lewis is often marginalized in favor of Clark's romanticism, and here he is not only the most interesting figure, but also the most tragic. By making Lewis' Newfoundland dog the real beating heart of the novel, Wolf gives us a clear image of a Meriwether Lewis broken by his greatest adventure, because once it was completed, something in him just never returned.

Like The Watch That Ends the Night, this is a very human look at a famous moment in history. It isn't perfect, but neither were the people who undertook the journey.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hate giving this book such a low rating for several reasons. Two of Wolf's other books were rare 5-star ratings from me, and two of my favorite books ever. Also, Allan Wolf has been kind enough to do two virtual chats with my high-school classes, and he is hilarious. Finally, I can't imagine the amount of research he put into this book. It is full of so much factual information; I think I read that he worked on it for ten years. I certainly respect the fact that it is so well-researched.

I choose my ratings, though, almost entirely on how much I enjoyed reading the book. If I can't put it down and can't wait to talk to someone about it and can't walk by it in a book store without smiling, it's a five. If the writing is horrible or I'm not interested in the subject or it feels like a chore and I have to force myself to read it, the book is a one.

Unfortunately, this one just didn't hold my attention. I wanted more from Sacagawea's perspective. The Oolum pages were so long, and I had to make myself read a little of the book each day to finish it. It rarely takes me a month to finish a book.

I will still read any novel in verse that Wolf writes, though. This one just wasn't for me.

[Leslie Fitzpatrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the language in this book (much like other Allen Wolf books) I didn't know much at all about this period in history but it was fascinating to learn about. I do want to warn anyone reading it about a dead dog on pg 276. One of the main characters is Lewis's dog, Seaman, aka Oolum the newfoundland. Honestly he's probably my favorite character because his point of view is so pure and unfiltered. But another warning, you'll probably fall in love with him and then cry at some parts because some scary things happen to him. The way the ending was written made me cry too. I love how Wolf shares the true stories of all the members of the Corps of Discovery after the story, he saved me the time of googling all of that and tells where he used artistic license as well. I recommend to anyone who likes history, poetry, or a good 'ole adventure story.

[Davina Frazier · Rating 3 out of 5]

This took me longer to read than it should have. Although it is close to 500 pages, you could read it in two to three sittings. Following the journey through the voices of the various characters is what makes the book special. Although, I felt the Native American and enslaved characters were somewhat stereotypical. The Native Americans were very spiritual and based life on their senses, nature, dreams, and animals. The enslaved character didn't have anger, but was always amiable (even in private thoughts) and gave the benefit of doubt to his enslaver. I did appreciate the author notes following the novel that provided factual information about what became of the Corps of Discovery characters after the excursion.

[Josh Duer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It is about Lewis and Clark's voyage to the Pacific, but it is told by them and all of the crew members, including Lewis' dog. It shows all of their encounters with Native American tribes as well as their struggles with the landscape. It is very interesting and gives a really detailed, in depth look at the voyage.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes history or adventure. It has a lot of both and depicts what the crew went through very well. I liked the opinions of the crew as well as the two captains. It never repeated topics a lot, so the story moves fairly quickly. There was little that I disliked about the book.

[clara [inactive account] · Rating 5 out of 5]

it's been a ride, folks. a 789 page ride, to be exact. once again, i've grown very attached to the characters, and once again, everything turns out horribly: they basically either drown, kill themselves, get shot, die of grief, lose a leg, or live a life of remorse and sorrow. so that's fun.



but. i actually did like this book a lot (gasp.) and also... i learned stuff! we love to see it!

[Angelene Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I teach WA State History and I would recommend this for anyone who teaches about the Lewis and Clark Expedition! This is a great historical fiction book to introduce different perspectives and to help students learn to be critical readers and "read like a historian."

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I love that it was written in free verse and by several different voices including the main voice of the Newfoundland dog. An easy, fun read about fascinating people and their amazing adventure.

[Hazel Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing book. I don’t read books like this often, but it switched between characters, between poetry and prose in a beautiful way. I don’t know how accurate this telling of the Lewis and Clark expedition is, but it definitely captured the courage and excitement of the company.

[Shira · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It was a light read from a variety of viewpoints of people on the Lewis & Clark expedition. It brought to light the immense struggles they endured to try to cross the as yet unexplored country.

[Wendy Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an about their incredible journey & endurance. Lewis & Clark shaped our history - they were making history every step of the way.

[Jeani · Rating 5 out of 5]

More fact than fiction but presented in an accessible and beautiful way. This was an awesome read and I think everyone should give it a read.

[Mindy Casto · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought I knew a lot about Lewis and Clarks travels but this book told it with a different light. The part that got me and it shouldn't have was what happened to each member after they returned.

[Ottis Jackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's definitely an interesting book

[Andrew Crowder · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book by Allan Wolf reenacts the journey across the American West successfully undertaken by The Corps of Discovery. The expedition was of course by order of President Thomas Jefferson during a fascinating era of our nation's early westward expansion. It's true the author takes some liberties to capture thoughts of Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, York, Sacagawea and even Captain Lewis's dog, Seaman. There are several other voices, too. His first person narrative approach serves readers well by showing what the day to day experience of the journey was probably like, and from various points of view. These narrators describe to us being intimately in mixed company, and in a strange, wild and unfamiliar territory on the water, mostly. Actual journal entries and letter excerpts by crew members (misspellings and all) are woven in seamlessly with Wolf's fully imagined prose. Thankfully, he is careful about not straying away from important events which we know to have happened from credible sources. This book was a pleasure to read. I recommend first completing Stephen Ambrose's Undaunted Courage though so that you will already have familiarity with the characters and the sequence of events.

[Abi Jewett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were very adventurous men. They were in for any adventure put in front of them. It just so happened that Lewis, a good friend of President Thomas Jefferson, had been asked to lead an expedition through the west side of the Louisiana Purchase. He was to find the quickest route by water that would lead to the Pacific Ocean. This would not be an easy task, as they later found out. When Lewis wrote a letter to Clark about the idea of the expedition and invited him to come along, he gladly accepted. And so their journey began.
They set out on their adventure with a large crew and many provisions able to be traded with Indians they hoped to encounter. This was another hope for the journey. They wanted to make peace with the Indian Tribes and tell them that the President, the Great White Father, was the new leader over the Indians. While visiting the tribe of the Hidatsa, the expedition met Sacagawea, who would soon join with the expedition as the only woman aboard. She was a great help to the expedition, for Sacagawea was an interpreter, she knew of good food to eat, and she knew some of the places where they should travel. Their expedition was very interesting. They brought back to the President samples of new plants and animals they had found and named. Although there were hardships, everyone almost dying of hunger and thirst, the expedition proved to be very successful.
In this book, I liked how the author put in the dog's point of view. It's something I wasn't expecting and it was cool to follow Seaman on his adventures. The descriptions were fascinating and it made the book more enjoyable to read.
If you like learning about history, I would recommend this book to you. It is full of historical events and tells about the amazing expedition of the Corps of Discovery as they did their best to find a new route to the Pacific Ocean.

[Christie · Rating 3 out of 5]

After my eleventh winter
I was kidnapped by our enemies
and made to be their slave.

Lewis and Clark's expedition across the American West is a story of adventure and danger. In his powerful verse, Allan Wolf, bring to life the men (and woman and dog) that made this harrowing journey across the wild frontier. Told from the perspectives of several party members and using letters and journal entries from Lewis and Clark themselves, the book illustrates how people from all walks of life came together to make the trip all the way to the Pacific Ocean.

I knew a bit about Lewis and Clark's voyage from history books and various books I have read about Sacagawea, but I was never very clear on all of the details. In this book, Wolf has created a very readable story full of historical fact. The various perspectives he chose to use in the book gave the story a diverse flavor. I like that real letters and journal entries were interspersed throughout the book. Much like Wolf's The Watch That Ends the Night, there is a very detailed author's note at the back that gives information about what happened to all of the historical characters after the voyage and provides tons of further reading.

The only frustration is that sometimes you did not hear from certain party members for a very long time and it stayed with Lewis, Clark, and the dog for much longer than necessary. I also found the pacing to be a bit off from time to time.

I recommend this to anyone who read and enjoyed The Watch That Ends the Night or those interested in Lewis and Clark. If you enjoy novels written in verse, you will probably enjoy this as well.

2016 Popsugar Challenge: A book of poetry.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wolf, Allan. New Found Land (2004)
New Found Land is an epic novel in free verse chronicling the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804 to the west coast and back. It is more than just a historical fiction adventure book. The author uses 14 different characters to tell the story, each from his own perspective in somewhat of a diary/journal format. Using this first person narrative really allows the reader to become personally connected to the story. Lewis’s pet dog, Seaman, is the narrator who pulls it all together and provides additional details of the journey and about the people involved. Even though the book, at over 500 pages, seems overwhelmingly long, each character’s narrative is usually only one or two pages in length. The book is broken down into seven parts beginning with a map of the territory that the expedition covered in that particular part of the book. This helps the reader follow the story. It is obvious that a huge amount of research went into this book to make it as historically accurate as possible even though it is a work of fiction. Parts of Lewis’s real diary are included in the text. The end of the book contains several pages of supplemental information. In an author’s note, Wolf discloses that all but two of the characters really existed and reveals what became of the original real life participants. There is a page of fascinating miscellaneous information, such as the number of new species recorded and number of poundsof meat consumed per day. A listing of internet resources is given, and a glossary of French, Indian and nautical terms is included. This is a great book honoring a great voyage of discovery. Unfortunately, because of the size of the book and the free verse format, I think it would have a limited audience. I would recommend it for a junior high level including adult, and it would be a great book for boys.

[Kennedy Hally · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book, New Found Land, by Allan Wolf, is about Lewis and Clark's voyage across America. It shows their adventures from beginning in St. Louis to the end. Lewis is chosen by the President of the United States of America to be Captain of the trip to find a northwest passage to the Pacific Ocean. This story includes many real characters and events from their trip. Probably the most well-known true character they encounter would be Sacagewea, a Shoshone girl captured by the Hidatsa Indians. This book is shown from many characters' points of view. It includes fictional and true recordings and journal entries.

Lewis, the true Captain of the voyage, leads a group called the Corps of Discovery up several rivers, to map out the west and find a northwestern passage to the Pacific Ocean. Along the way the encounter many Indian tribes, some friendly, some deadly. The crew must endure extreme temperatures, starvation, theft, and tedious labor to get all the way across the country. Along the way they meet famous, Sacagawea, and many other important figures to the story. It is a very difficult trip and not all of them make it, but the trip must be made. Not all those who make it back end up living an enjoyable life.

My least favorite character to listen to would be Lewis' dog, Seaman. Well, he is Seaman to the humans, but to him his rue name is OOlum. When OOlum wrote, he went on and on, and I thought he was to spiritual and deep to sound like a dog. I especially didn't like when he met with wolves along the way, because he was communicating with them through thought, and I thought it was a bit ridiculous.

I would recommend this book to any person who enjoys learning about history or anyone who likes to see a story through more than one persons' eyes. Not only was it a good history lesson, it was also entertaining. It was pretty good.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, I made it through the journey. I have to say, this wasn't my favorite book, which is mostly because I wasn't ever really able to "get into it." This dilemma may have been, in part, a result of my busy schedule which prevented be from being able to read large chunks in single sittings.

While I probably won't read it again, I think that it was still an interesting read because it required a lot of research on the part of its author, and it didn't whitewash the characters as much as some of the stories about Lewis and Clark that we hear in elementary school. I learn quite a bit about the time, actually, such as the amount of time it took to travel, that Sacajawea wasn't really the guide of the expedition, and that Lewis ultimately committed suicide. Oolum was the only character who actually told the story, however, so sometimes reading about the other characters and their feelings was annoying. I did find Hugh Hall, the drunkard, quite funny, though.

Warnings:
Violence--The Native American women are frequently beaten and treated as slaves. There is also some violence between the white explorers and some of the natives--one native even ends up dead.

Drugs--The men in the expedition group, as well as the men in some of the tribes, drink a lot of whiskey. In their rituals, some of the NA groups smoke pipes.

Language--A few of the characters has potty mouths, but the book is, for the most part, pretty clean in terms of language. (In other words, the swear words aren't the "really bad" ones used today.)

[McNeil Inksmudge · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've always been a little interested in the Lewis and Clark trek, so I was excited to read this one. It should've have surprised me that it started out and continued to be very slow, as it is a journey log. The events took two years for the figures to make, and mostly the highlights of those were put into the book. It's not so much about the journey and the geography crossed but the personal and characteral journey made. It's about maturity and expansion, just as the goal of the United States was expansion and credibility. I liked that the author used that vehicle to bring us on that course.
The characters were great. Not over the top, and therefore very believable. The book is about people who are definitely down to earth and realistic, so you won't find anything larger than life in it. Sacagawea especially is not what our elementary schools taught is. She is hardly even an interpreter. But from what I can research in a brief time, the accuracy of everything in the story is pretty spot on.
I liked it. I think history-philes will like it for the same reason. For teenagers I would recommend it because of it's growth theme.

Warnings:
Violence - very little. Very acceptable for even tweenager to read, yet the writing style and vocab would be terribly dry for them.
Sex - I have an inkling to indicate that there may be a rape, or sex with captors is implied, but I'm not sure.
Language - maybe taking the Lord's name in vain, but that's it. Okay, maybe some farmer's curse words, but I doubt it.

[Seth Hanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

New Found Land is a semi fictional book about Lewis and Clark's voyage to find the fabled northwest passage and map the land newly acquired as part of America's Louisiana Purchase. The story is told in small parts by many different characters, each with their own writing style. For example, Sacagawea's sections are told in a poetic free form, whereas Lewis tells the story in brisk, professional entries. Another of the stories main tellers is Oolum, Lewis's dog, who tells the story as a wise voice of the land and freedom.
The story begins with the start of the journey, first having just a few characters, and more are added as the story continues and they join the expedition. They travel first down the Mississippi, then up the Missouri and it's tributaries, accounting for the dangers, hardships, friends and foes they meet along the way. When they finally reach their long sought destination, the Pacific Ocean, they have encountered all manner of obstacles, from hostile native to sickness and desease and even a "cursed" mountain. However they overcome all of them in order to reach their goal.
I thought this was an excellent book. I really liked the way the author created an engaging, detailed story without much deviating from the truth. I also really liked how the author used a unique way of voicing his characters and telling the story as a whole. One thing I didn't like was the way the characters where balanced though the story.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in American history or poetry.

[Cleo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really interesting idea for a novel: it documents the famous journey of Lewis and Clarke through both verse and prose. Starting with Sacagawea, the various people on the voyage take turns narrating the story for a page or two. They include Lewis, Clark, a talkative kid, a slave, a drunkard, and a French Indian fiddler with one eye. There is also a Newfoundland dog named Oolum with a haunting narrative who was bought by Lewis for twenty dollars. I thought it was interesting that Wolf chose to include a dog's narration as well. Oolum is very observant, and seems to have visions, as do some of the other characters.

One striking thing that really made me angry was the treatment of the Native Americans they meet along the way by Lewis and Clarke. On one line, Lewis will be talking about how similar to white people they are, maybe even better, but he still calls them noble "savages." And also, the way that animals were treated along the voyage. Of course, Lewis and Clark thought that there were endless buffalo, beaver, and other animals to kill, and they do so, but we know now that they are not endless and neither are the trees.

New Found Land was a fairly suspenseful book and I learned something about the history of the Lewis and Clarke voyage. I think this is a great way to learn about history: through historical fiction.

My blog is at www.novareviews.blogspot.com.

[Cory Hernandez · Rating 2 out of 5]

New Found Land takes the point-of-view from different characters that go on the famous adeventur out West with Lewis and Clark. To tell you the truth, I had a hard time getting through the book because I thought it was quite boring. However, as I read other people's reviews, I can see why a lot of people give it four and five stars. The book is well done and is something completely different that most stories about this trek. Most of them are either from a third person point of view or they are directly from Lewis or Clark. The cool thing about this book is that there are so many characters that are involved in the book that the reader gets different views that range from Lewis to a young boy and even the dog that goes with them on the trip. Even though I had a hard time getting through it I would tell teachers that they could use this book as an introduction the the journey of Lewis and Clark. A teacher would be able to not only use a good piece of literature, but they would be able to tie in historical events as well.

Scale 1-5

Violence:1. Nothing that teenagers aren't exposed to in their everyday lives (i.e. video games, tv, movies, etc.)

Language:1. A few travelers use a few cuss words but nothing too intense.

Sex:1. Implied sexual acts but nothing really acted out, at least from what I can tell.

Drugs/Alcohol:1. Very minimal, if any

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Personally I thought that this book was a little hard to get into, but the more I read the more I appreciated it. I am a history minor, so when I really reflect on the overall value of the book, it actually held quite a bit. I found several topics that were discussed in the book to hold that value some of which were the dymanic characters always changing and finding out who they are, the issue of slavery and the value that slaves hold in different views and the relationship between the Indians with each other and also the explorers that were coming through their land. All these aspects provided many ideas for me to think and ponder over as I tried to imagine what this journey must have been like.

Ratings are from 1-10
Violence:5- I would say a level 5 violence because of some of the images that one can imagine when the Indians talk about war and battles between each other.

Sexual Content:2-Just barely it talks about Sacajewea and how she was taken from her home tribe and forced to marry another man and she has a baby with him

Drugs/Alcohol:4-It is mainly just drinking whiskey, it is mentioned a lot, but this just seems like something normal that people did.

Language:2-Considering this is a book based on expereinces way before our language developed such inappropriate language that wasn't a factor in this book, the worse are words such as calling the Indians savages.

[Louisa George · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very well done, and I had a hard time rating it between three and four stars. In the end I decided on three because, although the book was very good, it wasn't always super engaging for me as a reader and at times I found it a tedious process to keep reading. That being said however, I can see that this would be a fantastic teaching resource for teachers and I thought the book overall was cleverly formatted and presented a wonderful look at this important event in history. I will admit though, the facts at the end of the book were almost more interesting to me than the story itself. This book was well researched and quite a creative feat. I liked it and would suggest it to any teacher to supplement an American history class or someone who wants a fun, fresh perspective on the Lewis and Clark expedition.

Violence = 3 There are some fights, some injuries. The one that stood out to me the most was when the boy George chops himself with a hatchet. Other than that though it's not graphic or incredibly violent.

Sex = 0

Language = 2 Did it swear? I think yes, there were a few here and there.

Alcohol/Drugs = 3 The explorers drink, there is a character known as a drinker, the indians want whiskey.