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Coppermine
Part epic adventure, part romance, and part true-crime thriller, Coppermine is a dramatic, compelling, character-driven story set in 1917 in the extremes of Canada's far north and the boom town of Edmonton.
The story begins when two missionaries disappear in the remote Arctic region known as the Coppermine. North West Mounted Police officer Jack Creed and Angituk, a young Copper Inuit interpreter, are sent on a year-long odyssey to investigate the fate of the lost priests. On the shores of the Arctic Ocean near the mouth of the Coppermine River, they discover their dismembered remains. Two Inuit hunters are tracked and apprehended, and the four begin an arduous journey to Edmonton, to bring the accused to justice.
The story begins when two missionaries disappear in the remote Arctic region known as the Coppermine. North West Mounted Police officer Jack Creed and Angituk, a young Copper Inuit interpreter, are sent on a year-long odyssey to investigate the fate of the lost priests. On the shores of the Arctic Ocean near the mouth of the Coppermine River, they discover their dismembered remains. Two Inuit hunters are tracked and apprehended, and the four begin an arduous journey to Edmonton, to bring the accused to justice.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
14 people are currently reading
477 people want to read
About the author
Keith Ross Leckie
4 books23 followersKeith was born in Toronto, Ontario on April 26, 1952. He lives in Toronto with his wife Mary. They have three adult children. Keith has worked as a novelist, screenwriter and director after a brief career as a cabbie. His third novel, “Cursed! Blood of the Donnellys” will be published on Sept. 28, 2019. The next novel, “The American Problem”, inspired by his experiences imbedded with Canadian forces in Kandahar, Afghanistan in 2009, is nearing completion and “Coppermine” published in 2011 has been optioned as a Feature Film. His time is spent between Toronto, on a little jewel of a lake in the Kawartha Highland north of Peterborough and on Angel, a sailboat in the Bahamas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
May 3, 2025
This is by an ex of mine. Was I so taken about the idea of a writer and film-maker that I was as passionate about it as I was over him?
"One of the best books of the year. Really a fantastic read." I didn't write that, I just quoted it.
"One of the best books of the year. Really a fantastic read." I didn't write that, I just quoted it.
August 31, 2025
An awesome dramatic tale of the clash of three cultures – white colonial government, Roman Catholic arrogance, and stone age Coppermine Inuit!
In 1913, two Roman Catholic priests, driven by the unseemly presumption of the supremacy of their religious beliefs and its demand that all on the planet must subscribe to that religion to reach salvation, depart from the northern outpost community of Fort Norman with the goal of establishing the first church on the Coronation Gulf at the mouth of the Coppermine River.
“There were rumors they were violent savages, witches and cannibals, but to the Bishop they were the children of God yet to be claimed.”
When two years pass by without word from the priests, Royal North West Mounted Police officer Jack Creed and a young Inuit interpreter, Angituk McAndrew, are sent north to investigate and determine their fate. COPPERMINE is the extraordinary story of the discovery of the priests’ mutilated remains, the investigation of their deaths, the apprehension and arrest of their murderers, and the perilous return to Edmonton where the two Inuit will face trial for murder. The likely outcome of their conviction under white justice – a system that they had never before encountered and of which they had absolutely no understanding – is execution.
There are many words which can be used to describe COPPERMINE and every last one of them must be ranked as a superlative in its use – gripping, compelling, heartwarming, heartbreaking, informative, disgusting, brilliant, turbulent, romantic, swashbuckling, dramatic, and many, many more. It is certainly one of the very best books that I’ve read this year and ranks very highly on my list of lifetime favourites. What a find!!
But it is so much more than “merely” exciting!
It is a sociological and anthropological study of the endemic xenophobia and racism that informed the Canadian government’s mistreatment of our aboriginal people through the entire 20th century. Sadly, the struggle to improve that relationship persists into the 21st century.
“Their world is now our world, and they better damn well adapt to it just like the Indians have and like all the Aboriginals have in all the territories of the Empire. We made them … The civilizing process is what the Empire does. It is the price Natives have to pay for peace, prosperity, and security … ‘Tolerance and respect’ gets you nowhere. They must be shown the new order. They must be taught who’s boss!”
COPPERMINE is also an exposition on the mythological and cultural underpinnings of the Inuit’s “religious” beliefs and a condemnation of the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches’ efforts to supplant, suppress and eliminate those beliefs entirely – only recently accepted by the Canadian government as attempted cultural genocide:
“But heaven? No. the afterlife for us is not a good place. We do not like to think about it. We think about surviving each day. Our beliefs are about life now, while your religion seems to be about death and what comes after. I’ve never understood that.”
“When we kill animals, we must do so with respect … you must avoid needless pain. We believe the spirit of the animal we kill goes into the next animal we hunt. We will meet him again, so we must treat him with respect and maybe he will give himself to us again … And when a boy makes his first kill, his mother will weep over the animal and apologize to it for what her son has done.”
“Despite himself, there were cracks forming in Creed’s skepticism about the Copper beliefs. Here on the land they made as much sense as the tenets of any religion he knew. More than most.”
(Amen to that from an atheist reader whose opinion of the monotheistic Abrahamic religions could hardly be any lower!)
Author Keith Ross Leckie’s closing comment in an afterword interview is worth repeating:
“Our task as creators is to make these stories relevant to this generation and the issues it faces. In COPPERMINE, I deal with issues such as the futility of war, new approaches to the environment, religious fundamentalism, and even gender shifting. These are contemporary, universal topics that make COPPERMINE relevant to a modern audience.”
If you have any hope that current global government efforts to improve national relationships with local aboriginal populations will succeed, then you need to read COPPERMINE. Recommended well beyond 5-stars. Reading it was an unexpected honour and privilege.
Paul Weiss
In 1913, two Roman Catholic priests, driven by the unseemly presumption of the supremacy of their religious beliefs and its demand that all on the planet must subscribe to that religion to reach salvation, depart from the northern outpost community of Fort Norman with the goal of establishing the first church on the Coronation Gulf at the mouth of the Coppermine River.
“There were rumors they were violent savages, witches and cannibals, but to the Bishop they were the children of God yet to be claimed.”
When two years pass by without word from the priests, Royal North West Mounted Police officer Jack Creed and a young Inuit interpreter, Angituk McAndrew, are sent north to investigate and determine their fate. COPPERMINE is the extraordinary story of the discovery of the priests’ mutilated remains, the investigation of their deaths, the apprehension and arrest of their murderers, and the perilous return to Edmonton where the two Inuit will face trial for murder. The likely outcome of their conviction under white justice – a system that they had never before encountered and of which they had absolutely no understanding – is execution.
There are many words which can be used to describe COPPERMINE and every last one of them must be ranked as a superlative in its use – gripping, compelling, heartwarming, heartbreaking, informative, disgusting, brilliant, turbulent, romantic, swashbuckling, dramatic, and many, many more. It is certainly one of the very best books that I’ve read this year and ranks very highly on my list of lifetime favourites. What a find!!
But it is so much more than “merely” exciting!
It is a sociological and anthropological study of the endemic xenophobia and racism that informed the Canadian government’s mistreatment of our aboriginal people through the entire 20th century. Sadly, the struggle to improve that relationship persists into the 21st century.
“Their world is now our world, and they better damn well adapt to it just like the Indians have and like all the Aboriginals have in all the territories of the Empire. We made them … The civilizing process is what the Empire does. It is the price Natives have to pay for peace, prosperity, and security … ‘Tolerance and respect’ gets you nowhere. They must be shown the new order. They must be taught who’s boss!”
COPPERMINE is also an exposition on the mythological and cultural underpinnings of the Inuit’s “religious” beliefs and a condemnation of the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches’ efforts to supplant, suppress and eliminate those beliefs entirely – only recently accepted by the Canadian government as attempted cultural genocide:
“But heaven? No. the afterlife for us is not a good place. We do not like to think about it. We think about surviving each day. Our beliefs are about life now, while your religion seems to be about death and what comes after. I’ve never understood that.”
“When we kill animals, we must do so with respect … you must avoid needless pain. We believe the spirit of the animal we kill goes into the next animal we hunt. We will meet him again, so we must treat him with respect and maybe he will give himself to us again … And when a boy makes his first kill, his mother will weep over the animal and apologize to it for what her son has done.”
“Despite himself, there were cracks forming in Creed’s skepticism about the Copper beliefs. Here on the land they made as much sense as the tenets of any religion he knew. More than most.”
(Amen to that from an atheist reader whose opinion of the monotheistic Abrahamic religions could hardly be any lower!)
Author Keith Ross Leckie’s closing comment in an afterword interview is worth repeating:
“Our task as creators is to make these stories relevant to this generation and the issues it faces. In COPPERMINE, I deal with issues such as the futility of war, new approaches to the environment, religious fundamentalism, and even gender shifting. These are contemporary, universal topics that make COPPERMINE relevant to a modern audience.”
If you have any hope that current global government efforts to improve national relationships with local aboriginal populations will succeed, then you need to read COPPERMINE. Recommended well beyond 5-stars. Reading it was an unexpected honour and privilege.
Paul Weiss
August 3, 2017
What a good story. So satisfying. It had all of the right elements - based on historical facts so I learned a lot, suspenseful, funny, a love story and enough twists to keep me wondering what the heck was going to happen. Definitely 5 stars!!
December 8, 2010
This book is a winner from beginning to end. Leckie has written a gripping story set in real history that sweeps us from the relative civilization of Edmonton to the shores of the Arctic Ocean at Coppermine during the time of World War One. Leckie bases his story on the murder trial of Sinnisiak and Uluksuk in 1917, the first jury-system trial of Inuit in Canada. The hero, Jack Creed, is seen first bringing back the bodies of his fellow North West Mounted Police officers murdered by a crazed trapper turned cannibal. Seeing his obvious skill in the wild, he is commissioned to discover what has happened to two Catholic priests who set off to Christianize the Eskimos but have not been heard from for two years.
Creed takes Angituk McAndrew, a young Copper Inuit interpreter on a year long odyssey to find out the fate of the priests. They discover their murdered remains on the banks of the Coppermine River then journey to the Inuit camp at the mouth of river on the Arctic Ocean. Creed apprehends two Inuit hunters who readilly confess to the murders.
The journey to the Arctic, one of the first encounters these stone-age Eskimos have had with white men, and back with the prisoners is an epic Canadian tale of survival in the wilds battling hunger and cold. Leckie weaves through the story fascinating details of authentic Inuit beliefs and practices that leave us with a deep sense of sympathy for these people at the same time as we feel revulsion for the barbarism of the world war. Creed carries dark memories of his involvement in this war.
The love of Creed for a halfbreed young woman complicates his commitment to duty and gives to the story a warm, human touch. Leckie contrasts the nobility, adaptability and peacefulness of the Inuit with the hypocritical, superficial but technically advanced white civilization. In a sense he is returning to the discredited anthropological view that spawned the “noble savage” view of “primitive people. In this regard he is a little over the top…but engenders a real sense of sadness for the way we, the Anglo-saxons, treated the indigenous peoples.
This is one of the best books I’ve read in quite a while, a book which combines authentic history with great writing and a strong plot that moves to an explosive climax.
Creed takes Angituk McAndrew, a young Copper Inuit interpreter on a year long odyssey to find out the fate of the priests. They discover their murdered remains on the banks of the Coppermine River then journey to the Inuit camp at the mouth of river on the Arctic Ocean. Creed apprehends two Inuit hunters who readilly confess to the murders.
The journey to the Arctic, one of the first encounters these stone-age Eskimos have had with white men, and back with the prisoners is an epic Canadian tale of survival in the wilds battling hunger and cold. Leckie weaves through the story fascinating details of authentic Inuit beliefs and practices that leave us with a deep sense of sympathy for these people at the same time as we feel revulsion for the barbarism of the world war. Creed carries dark memories of his involvement in this war.
The love of Creed for a halfbreed young woman complicates his commitment to duty and gives to the story a warm, human touch. Leckie contrasts the nobility, adaptability and peacefulness of the Inuit with the hypocritical, superficial but technically advanced white civilization. In a sense he is returning to the discredited anthropological view that spawned the “noble savage” view of “primitive people. In this regard he is a little over the top…but engenders a real sense of sadness for the way we, the Anglo-saxons, treated the indigenous peoples.
This is one of the best books I’ve read in quite a while, a book which combines authentic history with great writing and a strong plot that moves to an explosive climax.
January 26, 2014
In 1913, North West Mounted Police officer Jack Creed, along with an Eskimo interpreter journey to the Coppermine River region to investigate the death of two Catholic priests. Creed apprehends two Eskimo hunters who admit their guilt. As the four people take the dangerous trip back to Edmonton, Creed experiences the Eskimo culture and how they have learned to work in concert with Nature in order to survive. After reaching Edmonton, the murder trial is held. Again, it is a collision of two very diverse cultures and the Eskimos’ experience in the white man’s world. This book is a novel based on the first jury-system trial of an Inuit in Canada. I especially enjoyed reading about the Eskimo culture. It is a book worth reading.
May 14, 2012
I really liked this book for about 90% of it. The parts where we were being taken through the wilds of northern Canada was beautifully written and stunning in the detail. I especially liked that I finally got to make use of all of that Canadian history I had to learn in order to teach SS 10 this year. I didn't even have to look up who Samuel Hearne was thanks to that course! I especially appreciated the understated style of description Leckie uses. I goes he is primarily a script writer and that was evident in his writing style. His dialogue carried much of the action and even when we were in the wilderness with very little dialogue happening, he had a skill for giving us just the right description. His style spoke to my love of minimalist writing. I also really enjoyed the fact that this book gave me a glimpse into an area of Canada I know little about. The only draw back came when the narrative shifted to the court rooms and to the "big city". I found I was not as keenly aware of the setting at this point as I was when they were up north. Leckie's skill with creating a vibrant scene with just the right description seemed to flag at this point and I found I wanted him to give me a little more context of where we were. This, however, was a relatively minor complaint and I really enjoyed this beautifully crafted book.
March 23, 2012
I wasn't at all interested in reading Leckie's book which I know realize was silly as I love reading about the North in books such as Elizabeth Hay's "Late Nights on Air". And this was also an historical murder/mystery which again should have caught my attention since I also enjoyed Louise Penney's "Bury Your Dead" so I am very glad it was chosen by our book club which really is the whole point of being in one - to get you to read books you wouldn't choose yourself.
"Coppermine" is set during WWI and begins in Edmonton where we meet Corporal Jack Creed of the North West Mounted Police. He is sent to the Arctic to investigate what had happened to two Catholic priests who disappeared three years earlier when they went north to bring God to the heathen Eskimos (sic). Creed hires a young teen-aged boy who is half Scottish half Eskimo to act as an interpreter. Their journey takes them from Fort Norman to Coppermine on the Arctic Ocean in what is now the territory of Nunavut. They paddle and walk thousands of miles from northern Alberta to the shores of the Arctic Ocean where they find the two men who confess to killing the priests. It is hard to keep track of the time line but I think the journey north and then back to Edmonton takes well over a year and the relationship between police officer and prisoners and guide changes dramatically during that time. The descriptions of the landscape and the Inuit religion and way of life are fascinating. The desolation of the north where the natives survive with little access to wood or metal tools, their very existence is compared to that of pre-historic man. The second half of the book is just as fascinating, set in the bustling frontier city of Edmonton where the murderers stand trial and Corporal Creed's secret is revealed. The book becomes a bit melodramatic towards the end but the story itself is gripping and the characters sympathetic.
"Coppermine" is set during WWI and begins in Edmonton where we meet Corporal Jack Creed of the North West Mounted Police. He is sent to the Arctic to investigate what had happened to two Catholic priests who disappeared three years earlier when they went north to bring God to the heathen Eskimos (sic). Creed hires a young teen-aged boy who is half Scottish half Eskimo to act as an interpreter. Their journey takes them from Fort Norman to Coppermine on the Arctic Ocean in what is now the territory of Nunavut. They paddle and walk thousands of miles from northern Alberta to the shores of the Arctic Ocean where they find the two men who confess to killing the priests. It is hard to keep track of the time line but I think the journey north and then back to Edmonton takes well over a year and the relationship between police officer and prisoners and guide changes dramatically during that time. The descriptions of the landscape and the Inuit religion and way of life are fascinating. The desolation of the north where the natives survive with little access to wood or metal tools, their very existence is compared to that of pre-historic man. The second half of the book is just as fascinating, set in the bustling frontier city of Edmonton where the murderers stand trial and Corporal Creed's secret is revealed. The book becomes a bit melodramatic towards the end but the story itself is gripping and the characters sympathetic.
July 12, 2013
A fictionalised account of a seminal event in Canadian history. Fantastically well-written, it's a book you don't want to put down but read it straight through. This is one of those books where I would love to meet the author and talk about how he researched the book. Did he do the trek? Did he live with the Inuits to learn their language.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
January 29, 2022
This book! The first part was an intriguing adventure of the ways of the 'Eskimo.' The second part was a heart wrenching love story in the midst of a trial. I loved everything about this book!!!!
November 2, 2025
Everything I want in a book. Sad I finished it.
October 14, 2023
The book was okay, but read very much like it was written off of a tv or movie script. All the stereotypes were at play, the handsome but damaged war vet turned Mountie, the beautiful but innocent Inuit girl, the equally beautiful but devious white woman. The whole gang showed up for this one. Which would have been fine for a fictitious story, but where it is based on real facts, is very disappointing. The saying "truth is stranger than fiction" is typically true and I feel the author would have done well to have remembered it and incorporated more of reality and less of tv (he was a writer for the CBC for 30 years) into the book.
The book also suffered from some strange inconsistencies for the sake of the plot. For example, you are to believe that Creed, the Mountie, is this great police officer. Yet he travels for months with the Inuit girl who is 'disguised' as a young boy. This is months of being totally alone together and sharing everything including a tent. But the Mountie never figured out the interpreter was a woman? Can't say I had much trust in his deductive skills.
All in all, not a bad book, if a tad long at 446 pages. But I am now eager to read an actual history of the event to see what really happened.
The book also suffered from some strange inconsistencies for the sake of the plot. For example, you are to believe that Creed, the Mountie, is this great police officer. Yet he travels for months with the Inuit girl who is 'disguised' as a young boy. This is months of being totally alone together and sharing everything including a tent. But the Mountie never figured out the interpreter was a woman? Can't say I had much trust in his deductive skills.
All in all, not a bad book, if a tad long at 446 pages. But I am now eager to read an actual history of the event to see what really happened.
December 10, 2024
This is based on a true story from Canada's North. Mountie Jack Creed and his guide/ interpreter, Angituk McAndrew, are sent North in search of two missing Catholic priests, from Fort Norman on Great Bear Lake, some fifteen hundred miles by canoe and on foot, to where the Coppermine River meets the Arctic Ocean. They find the bodies of the priests and arrest two Inuit men, and then have to return south to the eventual trials in 1917 Edmonton. The story has stunning detail and gives a good sense of what the stone age culture of the Copper people looked like. The happy ending strains reality, but the book is still an excellent read. There are lots of plot twists and revelations, which I will not go into detail about. Keith Ross Leckie has done a fine job on this novel.
February 27, 2020
Historical fiction. Well done.
August 12, 2023
This was an interesting read, although the start seemed a little fantastical. The journey into the Coopermine, and the journey out, was well done, showing an increasing awareness of the Inuit culture and ability to survive the north. I found the time in Edmonton and the ending a bit over the top, which is why it rates 3 stars instead of 4.
May 23, 2011
Keith Leckie's Coppermine is based on historical records of the murder of two Catholic Priests who were killed while trying to convert the Coppermine Inuit of the far north in the early 1900s and the subsequent capture and trial of the two Inuit involved.
The tale makes for a good travel adventure as war vet and North West Mounted Police office Jack Creed takes on the task of investigating the priest's deaths and bringing the Inuit to justice.
Leckie's writing is solid and manages to transport the reader to this very remote place both in space and time. The pace is quick and despite how long it took me to read this, is a real page turner. I think this novel will appeal to a lot of people that like "easy" reads and a good adventure. The prose strikes the right notes and the characters are memorable and interesting.
However, I only gave this three stars because for me I felt like it was too neat of a package. Leckie's previous experience as a screenwriter may be showing in this novel as he tries to give everyone closure whether it's justified or not.
I am not sure how many of the characters are fictional, but it would seem that a lot of the action is driven by the Jack Creed and his native interpreter Angituk McAndrews and that its their stories that seem a little too contrived to give the story its Hollywood moments.
I enjoyed this novel and would recommend it to others and would actually love to see a screen adaptation of it.
People looking for a more critical interpretation of the period might want to give this adventure novel a pass and stick to something with more non-fiction narrative.
The tale makes for a good travel adventure as war vet and North West Mounted Police office Jack Creed takes on the task of investigating the priest's deaths and bringing the Inuit to justice.
Leckie's writing is solid and manages to transport the reader to this very remote place both in space and time. The pace is quick and despite how long it took me to read this, is a real page turner. I think this novel will appeal to a lot of people that like "easy" reads and a good adventure. The prose strikes the right notes and the characters are memorable and interesting.
However, I only gave this three stars because for me I felt like it was too neat of a package. Leckie's previous experience as a screenwriter may be showing in this novel as he tries to give everyone closure whether it's justified or not.
I am not sure how many of the characters are fictional, but it would seem that a lot of the action is driven by the Jack Creed and his native interpreter Angituk McAndrews and that its their stories that seem a little too contrived to give the story its Hollywood moments.
I enjoyed this novel and would recommend it to others and would actually love to see a screen adaptation of it.
People looking for a more critical interpretation of the period might want to give this adventure novel a pass and stick to something with more non-fiction narrative.
December 29, 2014
In 1913 two Catholic priests head up to the remote Arctic region known as the Coppermine to teach/force their beliefs on the "lost souls" (Coppermine Inuit population). 3 years later, when they haven't returned, a Mountie and Copper Inuit interpreter are sent on a year long odyssey to investigate the fate of the lost missionaries. On the banks of the Coppermine River, a few miles from the Arctic Ocean, they discover the mutilated remains.Two Inuit hunters confess to the murders and agree to be brought back to Edmonton to stand trail.
The tale of this journey is unreal and I found myself wrapped in different emotions at different parts of this book. For me, that's the sign of great writing!!
I think Keith Ross Leckie is a brilliant writer. The book had so many twists yet it was based on a true story. One of the last statement made by Leckie sum it up perfectly.... "sometimes truth is harder to believe than fiction".
A must read!! Unputdownable!!!
The tale of this journey is unreal and I found myself wrapped in different emotions at different parts of this book. For me, that's the sign of great writing!!
I think Keith Ross Leckie is a brilliant writer. The book had so many twists yet it was based on a true story. One of the last statement made by Leckie sum it up perfectly.... "sometimes truth is harder to believe than fiction".
A must read!! Unputdownable!!!
November 5, 2012
I’m just finishing up (like last ten pages, so I’m posting now in case I drift into another abyss of no-posts) Keith Leckie’s intoxicating Coppermine - a book which, despite my mum’s recommendation, I wasn’t sure I’d enjoy, but holy man is it ever good. So good! Like stop reading this blog and get to your local library good. It’s set in 1913 and details the murder investigation of two french missionaries in the Arctic by Corporal Creek of the Northwest Mounted Police. It’s impossible to put down both because the plotting is so good, but more because the characters are so rich. That the plot follows “real history” makes the mystery and suspense all the more intense. I really can’t recommend this one highly enough.
May 21, 2012
This book was based on a true story.
A NWMP officer is sent to the mouth of the Coppermine River to find 2 Catholic priests who have not been heard from in quite some time. As it turns out, they were murdered by 2 Inuit. So he brings them back to Edmonton for trial.
This all takes place in 1913 and the trip there and back spans well over a year.
The author has taken liberties and incorporated a good story with several twists and turns.
I found it difficult to put down once I was on the journey.
Afterwards, I did some searching online and found a picture of the 2 Inuit. The officer though had a different name from the one in the book.
A NWMP officer is sent to the mouth of the Coppermine River to find 2 Catholic priests who have not been heard from in quite some time. As it turns out, they were murdered by 2 Inuit. So he brings them back to Edmonton for trial.
This all takes place in 1913 and the trip there and back spans well over a year.
The author has taken liberties and incorporated a good story with several twists and turns.
I found it difficult to put down once I was on the journey.
Afterwards, I did some searching online and found a picture of the 2 Inuit. The officer though had a different name from the one in the book.
July 11, 2016
When Jack Creed, a young police officer of the Northwest Mounted Police is sent to the far north in the Coppermine region to find the cause of death of two Catholic priests, who arrived there in 1913, he finds much more than he bargained for. The author leads the readers through the integrity of Inuit life, the troubled secrets that haunt Jack Creed, and the stark beauty of the north. Based on a true story, this is a must-read for Canadians. I enjoyed it immensely.
February 4, 2019
The world is full of a thousand mysteries that even a white man can’t know. Especially a white man.
A very entertaining read. I really enjoyed the detailed descriptions of life in the Arctic and the characters drew me in. A few too many PG13/mature scenes for my liking and everything tied up a bit too cleanly at the end but overall it captured my attention for three weeks.
A very entertaining read. I really enjoyed the detailed descriptions of life in the Arctic and the characters drew me in. A few too many PG13/mature scenes for my liking and everything tied up a bit too cleanly at the end but overall it captured my attention for three weeks.
February 16, 2013
Historical fiction of 2 Eskimo hunters tried in Edmonton in 1917 for the murder of 2 priests who had tried to establish a church in the Artic Coppermine region of Canada. Saw it in a book store in Whistler last summer...really enjoyed it!
February 1, 2012
Set between the Arctic and Edmonton during the First World War. Great story with good pace, lots of action, interesting information about life for the Eskimo.
October 5, 2014
Really enjoyed this book! Beautifully written.
August 15, 2019
Coppermine is based on a true story set in 1917 in the extremes of Canada's far north.
The story begins when two missionaries disappear in the remote Arctic region known as the Coppermine. North West Mounted Police officer Jack Creed and Angituk, a young Copper Inuit interpreter, are sent on a year-long odyssey to investigate the fate of the lost priests. On the shores of the Arctic Ocean near the mouth of the Coppermine River, they discover their dismembered remains. Two Inuit hunters are tracked and apprehended, and the four begin an arduous journey to Edmonton,
In Edmonton the defence council Instructs the jury to "think like an Eskimo," and proves the Inuit acted in self-defence. They hear how the hunters believed the priests were possessed by demons about to kill them, and how, acting on this belief, they killed the men and ate their livers. The jury finds them not guilty. The hunters become celebrities, a parade is held for them, they visit a movie theatre and an amusement park, and become guests of honour at socialite dinners. They are given new suits, fine cigars, and champagne. But Ottawa is not happy and a second trial ensues ( this really happened). They are found guilty at the second trial. As secrets of Jack Creed's past in the trenches of Europe are revealed, Jack tries to save his two friends, and himself. The ending is a bit unbelievable but it was a great story.
The story begins when two missionaries disappear in the remote Arctic region known as the Coppermine. North West Mounted Police officer Jack Creed and Angituk, a young Copper Inuit interpreter, are sent on a year-long odyssey to investigate the fate of the lost priests. On the shores of the Arctic Ocean near the mouth of the Coppermine River, they discover their dismembered remains. Two Inuit hunters are tracked and apprehended, and the four begin an arduous journey to Edmonton,
In Edmonton the defence council Instructs the jury to "think like an Eskimo," and proves the Inuit acted in self-defence. They hear how the hunters believed the priests were possessed by demons about to kill them, and how, acting on this belief, they killed the men and ate their livers. The jury finds them not guilty. The hunters become celebrities, a parade is held for them, they visit a movie theatre and an amusement park, and become guests of honour at socialite dinners. They are given new suits, fine cigars, and champagne. But Ottawa is not happy and a second trial ensues ( this really happened). They are found guilty at the second trial. As secrets of Jack Creed's past in the trenches of Europe are revealed, Jack tries to save his two friends, and himself. The ending is a bit unbelievable but it was a great story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 6, 2019
I am rating this book 3 although on some levels it is a 2 and on others it rates 4. Leckie excels at making the reader feel the cold and barrenness of far northern Canada. The descriptions of the terrain travelled and the seemingly endless darkness in the depths of winter are bone chilling.
Jack Creed is the only character drawn in depth. The Inuit characters are almost stereotypical. Jack is the NWMP official sent from Edmonton with a translator to find two missing priest, Many hundreds of miles north. Upon discovering that they were murdered, Creed must travel further to find the murderers. After finding them, all four of them travel back to Edmonton, but are forced to spend the coldest and darkest months of winter in a makeshift shelter.
Jack’s journey ends a year later and so does the best part of the book.
After the vivid descriptions and events in Part 1, Part 2 descends into too many convenient, forced incidents. During the court trial of the two Inuit men Jack is reunited with his girlfriend, Nicole. Nicole changes her attitude and actions more times than it has snowed in Coppermine.
The ending is only somewhat satisfying and begs for a sequel.
All told, despite flaws, the insight into Arctic life in the 19oo’s is well worth the read, especially because the plot is based on an actual incident in Canadian history which was the instigator for establishing “law and order” in northern Canada.
Jack Creed is the only character drawn in depth. The Inuit characters are almost stereotypical. Jack is the NWMP official sent from Edmonton with a translator to find two missing priest, Many hundreds of miles north. Upon discovering that they were murdered, Creed must travel further to find the murderers. After finding them, all four of them travel back to Edmonton, but are forced to spend the coldest and darkest months of winter in a makeshift shelter.
Jack’s journey ends a year later and so does the best part of the book.
After the vivid descriptions and events in Part 1, Part 2 descends into too many convenient, forced incidents. During the court trial of the two Inuit men Jack is reunited with his girlfriend, Nicole. Nicole changes her attitude and actions more times than it has snowed in Coppermine.
The ending is only somewhat satisfying and begs for a sequel.
All told, despite flaws, the insight into Arctic life in the 19oo’s is well worth the read, especially because the plot is based on an actual incident in Canadian history which was the instigator for establishing “law and order” in northern Canada.
February 7, 2018
I love all things "Canadiana".
I bought this novel for my nonagenarian Aunt who is an Edmonton history buff. I thought she would enjoy this story based on TRUE events. When she was done, I read it. I'm so glad I did.
Leckie researched a worthy story from the early 1900's and retold it with skill.
This eyeopening foray into the perilous Arctic will keep you glued.
A terrible crime has been committed. One man is pitted against the dubious nature of the far, uncharted North to investigate, arrest and wind his charges back to "civilization" in the hopes of exacting justice.
Of course, this "Mountie", a returning war hero, is running from his own demons. We don't discover exactly what those are until near the end of the story. It's all quite riveting. Told in exquisite detail.
“Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows.” Shakespeare's quote holds true as we spectate the Gilded Era vs The Stone-age conflict. This is all wound around a love story bringing humanity and compassion to the foreground. I didn't quite cry....but I was close.
Seriously, this book has everything.
I bought this novel for my nonagenarian Aunt who is an Edmonton history buff. I thought she would enjoy this story based on TRUE events. When she was done, I read it. I'm so glad I did.
Leckie researched a worthy story from the early 1900's and retold it with skill.
This eyeopening foray into the perilous Arctic will keep you glued.
A terrible crime has been committed. One man is pitted against the dubious nature of the far, uncharted North to investigate, arrest and wind his charges back to "civilization" in the hopes of exacting justice.
Of course, this "Mountie", a returning war hero, is running from his own demons. We don't discover exactly what those are until near the end of the story. It's all quite riveting. Told in exquisite detail.
“Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows.” Shakespeare's quote holds true as we spectate the Gilded Era vs The Stone-age conflict. This is all wound around a love story bringing humanity and compassion to the foreground. I didn't quite cry....but I was close.
Seriously, this book has everything.
February 19, 2021
I found it interesting that the Inuit in this story said "We are friendly to you and in a good mood". Some lines I especially enjoyed: Angituk wanted to help Creed for "she only wanted to prepare him. Maybe save his life. He doesn't know all things. No one is wise enough to know everything. The world is full of a thousand mysteries that even a white man can't know. Especially a white man." (p. 114). The "inukshuk": he realized how important these figures were to relieve the traveller of his loneliness. The stone man represented perspective and history and humanity. It was not simply a stylized pile of stones but the sum of the hopes and fears of the artist who had created it. His character and spirit lingered in the wind-worn chunks of granite , offering comfort and reassurance and company." (p. 130). Leckie shares with the reader many of the Copper Inuits beliefs. "My people adapt. Just don't lie to them" (p. 201). "I think this is proof that what we dream is life and what appears as life is really a dream." (p. 319). "I'm looking for something. Do you know what it is? No. Not quite. Not yet. Are you close to finding it? I don't know. I hope so." (p 362)
July 13, 2025
This may well be the best book I have ever read. I was anticipating an adventure story as Canadian Mountie Jack Creed, alone except for a young Inuit interpreter, faces a perilous trek into the vast Arctic regions to find a couple of missing priests. But "Coppermine" is so, so much more than that. It IS a rousing adventure, and Mr. Leckie does a magnificent job bringing the harshness of the vast region to life. But it is also a fascinating true-crime mystery, a rousing courtroom drama, a moving historical saga, a heartbreaking examination of clashing cultures and a haunting love story. As a screen writer, the author's immense talent for pacing is evident, with thrills and suspense aplenty until the very last scene. I would give "Coppermine" 10 stars if I could.
December 13, 2025
I read this because Petra-X mentioned it on her feed and I'm glad I did. A fictionalized account of a true story involving the murder of a couple of Catholic priests in 1913 at the mouth of the Coppermine river in the Canadian arctic. Not sure about the accuracy, but it seems to be well researched as far as the information on Inuit (Eskimo) culture that is a major part of the book.
Anyone reading this should consider reading "Coppermine Journey" by Farley Mowat, an account of the journey to the arctic by explorer Samuel Hearne in 1769 including witnessing the massacre at Bloody Falls, which figures prominently in this book.
Well written, interesting characters. Good view of life in the Canadian north in 2017.
T
Anyone reading this should consider reading "Coppermine Journey" by Farley Mowat, an account of the journey to the arctic by explorer Samuel Hearne in 1769 including witnessing the massacre at Bloody Falls, which figures prominently in this book.
Well written, interesting characters. Good view of life in the Canadian north in 2017.
T
July 1, 2018
I enjoyed this book very much. The story and style were very engaging. Although it doesn’t strictly adhere to the historical accounts (a sure sign of a good book: I googled the events to see what the whole story was) it was an entertaining read.
I enjoyed learning new things with this book, but the one thing I wasn’t crazy about was the Nicole character. I won’t spoil it, but her involvement at the end was too up and down for me. Basically it just didn’t seem like the actions of any normal woman I have ever known. Otherwise, a compelling read!
I enjoyed learning new things with this book, but the one thing I wasn’t crazy about was the Nicole character. I won’t spoil it, but her involvement at the end was too up and down for me. Basically it just didn’t seem like the actions of any normal woman I have ever known. Otherwise, a compelling read!
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