Overview
Quebec, 1703. In this rough town, Indian slaves are routinely mistreated. As Cécile Chesne watches the branding iron burn into young Lesharo's flesh, she knows she must act. Defying convention, the headstrong girl buys the slave's freedom and treats him as an equal. Lesharo is Pawnee — the People of the Wolf. Sworn to protect Cécile, he accompanies her and her father, a coureur de bois, as they leave Quebec for a perilous journey to the new fort at Détroit. Fort society, however, makes Cécile and Lesharo miserable. Torn between two worlds, they can only be free in the wild. But freedom will not come easily. One terrible night, Cécile is forced to make a dreadful choice ?
Synopsis
In early 18th-century Quebec, a headstrong young girl must make difficult decisions after she defies convention and buys a slave his freedom.
Claire Rosser - KLIATT
Trottier lives in Canada and her ancestors are linked to this historical fiction that takes place at Fort Detroit in the early 1700s. It's the best kind of historical fiction, bringing today's readers into the world of 300 years ago, at a remote outpost where French trappers and soldiers are living and working among the Native peoples whose land it is. The main character is Cecile, a remarkable young woman who has been with her father in the wilderness as he lives among Indians, trading and trapping. Cecile and her father Robert are in Quebec briefly and uncomfortably when Cecile sees a young Pawnee Indian man being branded as a slave. She manages to purchase Lesharo's freedom and he joins her and her father as they trek through the wilderness to Fort Detroit. It's a strange, extremely close relationship that becomes a problem at Fort Detroit where Lesharo is treated with disdain by most of the French. There are several wives posted there, and their efforts to get Cecile into "civilized" clothing and flirting with French officers are met with Cecile's disgust. When Edmond, an attractive French officer who has been an adopted son of the Mohawks, falls in love with Cecile, it forces all three—Cecile, Lesharo, and Edmond—to make decisions about commitment and cultural divisions. This is a long story, filled with details of the wilderness, of Indian beliefs and customs, and of life in the fort among the French colonists. The clash between the Indian religions and Catholicism is delineated well, with neither side demonized. What is seen as ghastly is the injustice practiced by the French against the Indians, with Cecile and her father isolated because of their acceptance of Indiansas their social equals. The characters are appealing, the action is dramatic, the description of the wilderness is riveting—making this a fine YA novel. KLIATT Codes: JS*—Exceptional book, recommended for junior and senior high school students. 2004, Kids Can Press, 348p., Ages 12 to 18.
Editorials
Booklist
Several historical people and events are woven into the story, but more memorable are the fictional characters at the forefront, their trials, and their relationships. Trottier, a Canadian writer whose ancestral tree includes branches at Fort Detroit, tells a memorable story without the sentimentality that often results when romance meets historical fiction.Quill & Quire
The story draws us in quickly, the narrative unfolds smoothly, and period details are accurate without being intrusive. ... While there’s plenty to hold the interest in good younger readers, the issues raised should engage older, more sophisticated readers as well.Children's Literature
Greatly disturbed after she witnesses the branding of a Pawnee slave by his owner, Cecile decides to act. The very next day, she buys the man's freedom. However, the man, Lesharo, has no intention of leaving Cecile's side. She has saved him, and he feels a sense of responsibility to her. When Cecile extends the hand of friendship to Lesharo, he finds the idea of parting from her even more difficult to bear; in the many years since he was kidnapped from his tribe, the Pawnee youth has never known real friendship. Being treated like an equal by the headstrong girl is a powerfully refreshing change for him. What's more, Cecile and her father are undertaking a long, treacherous journey, and Lesharo feels he can be an asset to them on their trip. The trio faces difficult weather, dangerous rattlesnakes, and treacherous terrain as they cross the many miles between Quebec and the frontier settlement of Fort Detroit. But this is only the tip of the iceberg. The dangers they face at the end of their journey—including threats to their friendships, identities, and even their lives—are much worse. Maxine Trottier weaves together fictional elements of the pair's story and realistic details about wilderness travel and frontier settlement in the early 1700s. The accompanying notes address the historical context of the tale. 2004, Kids Can, Ages 9 to 14.—Heidi Hauser Green
KLIATT
Trottier lives in Canada and her ancestors are linked to this historical fiction that takes place at Fort Detroit in the early 1700s. It's the best kind of historical fiction, bringing today's readers into the world of 300 years ago, at a remote outpost where French trappers and soldiers are living and working among the Native peoples whose land it is. The main character is Cecile, a remarkable young woman who has been with her father in the wilderness as he lives among Indians, trading and trapping. Cecile and her father Robert are in Quebec briefly and uncomfortably when Cecile sees a young Pawnee Indian man being branded as a slave. She manages to purchase Lesharo's freedom and he joins her and her father as they trek through the wilderness to Fort Detroit. It's a strange, extremely close relationship that becomes a problem at Fort Detroit where Lesharo is treated with disdain by most of the French. There are several wives posted there, and their efforts to get Cecile into "civilized" clothing and flirting with French officers are met with Cecile's disgust. When Edmond, an attractive French officer who has been an adopted son of the Mohawks, falls in love with Cecile, it forces all three—Cecile, Lesharo, and Edmond—to make decisions about commitment and cultural divisions. This is a long story, filled with details of the wilderness, of Indian beliefs and customs, and of life in the fort among the French colonists. The clash between the Indian religions and Catholicism is delineated well, with neither side demonized. What is seen as ghastly is the injustice practiced by the French against the Indians, with Cecile and her father isolated because of their acceptance of Indiansas their social equals. The characters are appealing, the action is dramatic, the description of the wilderness is riveting—making this a fine YA novel. KLIATT Codes: JS*—Exceptional book, recommended for junior and senior high school students. 2004, Kids Can Press, 348p., Ages 12 to 18.—Claire Rosser