Brian Hall (1) (1959–)

I'm strongly drawn to adventure+survival stories, and I've now delved into a number of works, both fiction and nonfiction, on the Corps of Discovery. (I can't recommend The Lewis and Clark Journals from the University of Nebraska Press highly enough, despite how dull it might ostensibly sound to read someone's travel diaries. And Undaunted Courage comes next on my list.) I thought a historical fiction adaptation could be an interesting way to present varying perspectives, and I was curious to see what Hall might do with it. Overall, the writing style was beautiful and evocative and the narrative captivating, though there were times when the pace made me feel like I was not making a great deal of progress. Due to the affected voice, the chapters focusing on Charbonneau and Tsakakawia [sic] fell somewhere between pretentious and cringey. It also seemed like portions of the journey were missing, with the second half more or less glossed over compared with the first. Just a final aside: it is with enormous disappointment, though not the fault of the author, that after reading the description of the majestic and breathtaking "Great Falls" and thinking I'd like to see them someday, further research revealed that they have long been dammed and no longer look anything as they did.… (more)

I really enjoyed this book at the beginning. It is the story of Saskia, a 12-year-old girl who lives on a former commune outside Ithaca, NY. Though she chafes at the limited life of the farm and taking care of a "crew" of younger siblings, she leads a rich inner life with "imaginary friends" like Horatio Hornblower (The Captain), Tycho Brahe, and even the wily Odysseus himself. Then she meets Jane Singh. This lithe beauty brings a whiff of the outer world to the tiny town of Tyler. Jane and Saskia become the best of friends, influencing each other in the way teenage girls do.

But then Saskia is invited to go on a quest with her father, whom she barely remembers. Jane comes too, and things devolve from there. The novel which began in such a beautiful, innocent, whimsical way comes crashing down into reality.

I am not against realist novels, but this one started in such a romantic, fantastical way, I found the switch jarring and unpleasant.… (more)