The Last Voyageurs

by Lorraine Boissoneault

Reid Lewis never wanted to be an ordinary French teacher. With the approach of the American Bicentennial, he decided to put his knowledge of French language and history to use in recreating the voyage of René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, the first European to travel from Montreal to the end of the Mississippi River. Lewis’ crew of modern voyageurs was comprised of 16 high school students and 6 teachers who learned to sew their own 17th-century clothing, paddle handmade canoes, and construct black powder rifles. Together they set off on an eight-month, 3,300-mile expedition across the major waterways of North America. They fought strong currents on the St. Lawrence, paddled through storms on the Great Lakes, and walked over 500 miles across the frozen Midwest during one of the coldest winters of the 20th century, all while putting on performances about the history of French explorers for communities along their route. Weaving the true history of La Salle's initial voyage throughout the narrative, The Last Voyageurs tells the story of a truly unique American odyssey, where a group of young men discovered themselves by pretending to be French explorers.

Genres: History, Travel, Nonfiction, Memoir

275 pages, Hardcover

First published April 11, 2015

About the author

Lorraine Boissoneault is a journalist and writer whose work has appeared in national and regional publications including Salon, MentalFloss, Forbes Middle East, The Weather Channel, and many other outlets. She covers travel, foreign policy, science, and adventure and is a graduate of the Columbia School of Journalism. She lives in Chicago with her husband.

Reviews

[Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Last Voyageurs: Retracing La Salle's Journey Across America: Sixteen Teenagers on the Adventure of a Lifetime by Lorraine Boissoneault

My thanks to my contacts at Pegasus Books for my copy of this book!

In the footsteps of La Salle…

René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, made a historic journey from the Montreal area in Canada all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. He claimed the land that became the Louisiana Purchase for France. His journey took him through the Great Lakes, the Mississippi River, and the Gulf Coast.

In 1976, in commemoration of the United State’s Bicentennial, Reid Lewis assembled an expedition to retrace this historic journey. His team of high school students and teachers, twenty-four souls in all, made this voyage extra special by making their canoes by hand; their clothing, their supplies, etc. were just as they would have been for LaSalle.

This is a story of people not only tracing history but retracing history just as history happened. They could have used modern methods, but they choose to immerse themselves in the entire spirit of the journey.

There are both trials and triumph. They made it all the way using these heavy canoes and period clothing, etc. But there are also the tales of enduring cold temperatures, long portages, dealing with storms and bad weather, mosquitoes, possible sabotage, food problems, arguments among the leaders and more.

Trudge along with our adventures five hundred miles through a terrible winter, with the added problem of moving heavy canoes and supplies. Ride with them as they rush along the rough waters of the Saint Lawrence and the Mississippi. The excitement when the canoes reach the Gulf of Mexico flows off the page and into the reader’s special experience in reading. I felt at times like I could hear rushing water and feel a chill in the air! This has been a very memorable read!

I give the book five stars!

Quoth the Raven…

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author is my cousin's wife, so I was excited to read this! Plus I knew very, very little about La Salle (like, I've heard of him? but that's it?) and I'd never heard of the 1976 recreation trip - so it was a fascinating topic! I just wish the writing style was more... I don't know...novel-y? I had a hard time feeling invested, partly because it was impossible to keep everyone straight (what this really needs is a "cheat sheet" that lists everyone's name, age, and canoe group...I couldn't even remember who were the adults and who were the teens for most of the book!) and it was very heavy on the facts without much extra prose to get that feeling like I was really there with them. Like, they traveled through one of the coldest winters on record but reading about it I never felt cold...when I read books like this I want to feel like I'm there! There were a few passages (usually when they were in real danger) that were written fabulously and I was on the edge of my seat - but the rest of the book fell flat. And while there were a few photographs in the middle, I wish there were more - they talked about how a photographer followed them for the whole trip so I'm sure there were plenty more available that could have been included! I think more pictures would have helped me connect to the men more too if I saw their faces.

(There was a kind of grievous typo near the end too...I don't have the book with me to find the exact page number but when it was discussing La Salle finally reaching the Gulf and planting the cross and plaque the quoted plaque text said the year was 1692...and then the passage when on to detail La Salle's death in 1687 and I was so confused! Turns out the plaque should have read 1682...)

[Kathy Duffy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed this thrilling re-enactment of The Last Voyagers: La Salle's journey across America; Sixteen teenagers on the Adventure of a Lifetime. As someone who enjoys historical re-enactment though of a different time period and one who twice took groups of teen age girl scouts across country, I could relate to the excitement, the problems, though never in those physical conditions and the value of teamwork. Also how an experience like that can cement a friendship for life and create unforgettable memories.

It was the equivalent of reading a really good thriller but knowing it was real, not fiction and that the incidents described had actually taken place.

Thrilled to have won this on Goodreads.

[Brigid · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. I was happy to learn more about the LaSalle voyage, which has been on the periphery of my historical knowledge for so long. But I also loved the way the author captured the 70s—the Spirit of ‘76, the benign neglect of both teachers and parents which made such a voyage possible, and the widespread acceptance of a variety of paths through young adulthood, sadly lost to the monolithic college-or-bust attitude of today.

Boissoneault captures it all with such meticulous research, a gift for selecting details, and an inherent love and respect for the subject. So glad I read it.

[Christian Finch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It details the risk, adventure, and hardship of a group of individuals who traveled by canoe and foot from Montreal to the Gulf of Mexico in 1976-1977 as 17th century French explorer/voyageurs. The author skillfully describes the physical hardships and danger as well as the joys and triumph of the expedition. You will feel as though you are there as everything happens. I recommend this book for anyone interested in history, travel, adventure, or the outdoors.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book started off rather slowly, although it was interesting reading. Once the crew was traveling their course, it became more interesting and he personalities of the crew were 'fleshed out'.
It was a 7 for history.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting accounting of an amazing reenactment in 1976-77 when they retraced the expedition of LaSalle to the mouth of the Mississippi in one of the coldest winter's on record. Also of interest to me, the reenactors were mostly from my high school in Elgin Illinois.

[Roger Smitter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loraine Boissoneault narrates the experience of teachers and students who set out in 1976 to trace the trail that LaSalle and his crew initiated in 1680. LaSalle’s goal was toe claim the Great lakes and the Mississippi River for France.

A young and energetic teacher – Reid Lewis – had a similar goal. We wanted students to experienced first-hand. The book demonstrates how history can come alive for 16 students (all males, by the way) and five teachers.

Boissoneault launches most of the chapters with a quick statement of what LaSalle and his men encountered in a particular segment of the exploration. She then tells us what our modern explorers encountered in that same stretch of the lakes and rivers (and the forages on land).

The book explores some remarkable experiences for the young explorers: serious injuries, living off the land, and switching between 17th century experiences and 20th century reality.

I want to learn more about the young students. They are in their 60’s, a good time to assess how events in school sharpened their lives and careers.

[Kevin Payne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tells the story of a teacher who organized a trip to reenact La Salle's journey down the Mississippi as part of the bicentennial celebration in 1976. Most of the crew were teenagers he recruited to take the roles of the voyageurs who travelled with La Salle in 1678 from Montreal across the Great Lakes and down the Mississippi on a 3,000 mile trip. The modern voyageurs didn't have to worry about attacks from Native Americans but they had to deal with modern problems like locks that were installed on the St. Lawrence Seaway and the challenges of portaging canoes and supplies through the city of Toronto as well as record setting cold temperatures.
It was an interesting story but I could have done with less about the in-fighting of the modern voyageurs and more details on La Salle's original expedition.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an amazing canoe adventure of 1976. I wonder why no one wrote a book about it until now? The author does a good job of recording the epic journey by young re-enacters in 6 canoes determined to retrace the route of French voyageurs departing from Montreal Canada in 1681 and paddling across the middle of continent to the mighty Mississippi and then all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico. The La Salle trip took 8 months an included portages, rough water, cold winter night sleeping outside and squabbles between the participants. I liked the book and was glad there were some color photo. I nice map of the trek would have improved the book, however. Read it and enjoy the trip without callouses from paddling all day.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing true adventure, well-told by the author. The retracing took place in 1976 as one of many bicentennial observances. The author mentions BikeCentennial, a cross-country bike tour in 1976. I took part in it, riding from Oregon to Wyoming in a group of nine. It was a major adventure for all of us. The idea of connecting with scenic America in a slow, close-up trip with strangers who became best friends resonates with me and the re-enactors in the book. And, like them, our group came together for a reunion after 30 years. We learned that undertaking an adventure at a young age is never forgotten and shapes the rest of your life as well.

[Kim Morse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story

Enjoyed the pace and the comparison of the two groups. Humans can do great things even with many differences between them