The Morning River: A Novel Of The Great Missouri Wilderness In 1825 (1997) - Plot & Excerpts
Naive Harvard idealist meets rugged frontier wilderness. Poor Richard Hamilton, the affable, yet toolish young chap from Boston, is totally devoted to his philosophical bffs--Kant, Voltaire and Rousseau. In fact, as young Hamilton initially believes, there isn't any problem that can't be reasoned. Violence and savagery are the modus operandi on the western frontier precisely because it lacks the cultivation of ideals normal for civilized society. It would be tragic if young Richard found himself on the cusp of "savage" society only equipped with reason and some high culture driven morality. Oh boy. It happens. What follows is a tale masterfully combining beautiful story telling with history.The interplay between cultured, European influenced reason verses the reality of American frontier life in 1825 is particularly fascinating.
A good read about a boorish young academic being unboorished by the wild world. Good descriptions of what it might have been like in the far west at the time. I had not thought about how pushing tribes westward from the midwest into the plains and mountains had made a mess of native life before white men actually got that far. Also gives a good picture about how diverse and conflicting the tribal cultures were.I would give it a 4 except the ending is unsatisfying. While it stands alone, not sure I would have started it if I knew I was only getting half a book.
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