Historical fiction/romance. Impeccable research - great characterizations of some of the major players during a particularly volatile period in Canada’s history: the Fenian threat and its effects on Canadian foreign policy under Sir John A MacDonald; the decision of Sitting Bull to escape persecution in the United States after Custer’s defeat by emigrating to Saskatchewan and the efforts made by Superintendent James Walsh to placate Sitting Bull and his followers by trying to convince him he would be protected if he returned to the United States, about which Walsh had apprehensions. Interspersed is a subplot involving a love story between a disgraced Canadian reservist (the protagonidt of the novel, Wesley Case), the romantic frustrations of a cynical Canadian opportunist (Dunne) selling himself to American interests who saw Canada as part of their manifest destiny and was willing to betray Canada for personal gain. Wow! That’s a lot of plot mechanics. Vanderhague makes it work, all right, but it was rough sloggin’ for me as a reader. “The Englishman’s Boy” and “The Last Crossing” - the first two tomes in the trilogy - were, in my opinion, far more engaging. That’s not to say this book is not worth reading. For those interested in the intricate details of what has happening in Canada between 1870 and 1880 and the policies of Sir John A MacDonald that determined the future of Sitting Bull and the 5000 members of his Lakota people who followed him into Canada, this is a fascinating read, particularly how Vanderhague frames it as a conflict between the protagonist of the story, Wesley Case, and Walsh, whose sympathies were with The Sioux people.
Interspersed is a subplot involving a love story between a disgraced Canadian reservist (the protagonidt of the novel, Wesley Case), the romantic frustrations of a cynical Canadian opportunist (Dunne) selling himself to American interests who saw Canada as part of their manifest destiny and was willing to betray Canada for personal gain.
Wow!
That’s a lot of plot mechanics. Vanderhague makes it work, all right, but it was rough sloggin’ for me as a reader. “The Englishman’s Boy” and “The Last Crossing” - the first two tomes in the trilogy - were, in my opinion, far more engaging. That’s not to say this book is not worth reading. For those interested in the intricate details of what has happening in Canada between 1870 and 1880 and the policies of Sir John A MacDonald that determined the future of Sitting Bull and the 5000 members of his Lakota people who followed him into Canada, this is a fascinating read, particularly how Vanderhague frames it as a conflict between the protagonist of the story, Wesley Case, and Walsh, whose sympathies were with The Sioux people.