If you could trade a comfortable, predictable future, dictated by your family, for a life of adventures with a famous explorer you hardly knew, would you do it?
In Brook Allen’s recent novel, West of Santillane, teenager Julia Hancock faced those choices in the early 1800s on her family’s Virginia plantation.
As the author recounts Julia’s choices and their consequences, she immerses readers in the excitement, joys, and sorrows of this era. Julia’s beliefs, perhaps unusual for someone in her position, play a central role and enhance the tension in this story.
Major Characters:
Julia Hancock—independent young Virginia woman from a traditional plantation owner’s family; she enjoys literature and marries William Clark
William Clark—military man and explorer who, with Lewis, journeyed across the U.S. to the Pacific Ocean on the expedition President Thomas Jefferson commissioned
Meriwether Lewis—commander of the expedition, a brilliant scientist but unrefined man who never married
Harriet (Harri) Kennerly—Julia’s cousin and friend; she lacked Julia’s sense of adventure
York—enslaved man who grew up with and worked for William Clark; Clark’s beliefs about slavery determined the course of York’s life.
Chief Sheheke-Shote—Mandan Native American leader who assisted Lewis and Clark on their expedition and later met President Jefferson in Washington, D.C.
Yellow Corn—wife of Chief Sheheke; while stranded in St. Louis, she and Julia become friends
Pierre Chouteau—prominent French-Creole businessman from a St. Louis family who made its fortune from furs and investments; he befriended the Clarks and Lewis
Ramses and Odysseus Phipps—squatters who resented Lewis and Clark’s kind treatment of Chief Sheheke and his family
Nicholas Biddle—editor who helped bring the journals of Lewis and Clark about their expedition to publication
Strengths:
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Interesting coming of age story combined with moral conflict
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Vivid portrayal of life, both on a Virginia plantation and in St. Louis in pioneer days
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Window into Lewis and Clark’s expedition, revealing the physical and emotional cost of the expedition for all those involved
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Showed the sacrifices made by Native Americans who cooperated with the expedition
Weakness:
The author’s portrayal of Julia Hancock—as strongly believing that slavery was wrong and should be ended—is a key part of this novel, yet this may or may not be factual. Historical evidence is lacking, so it may represent the author’s literary license (which is acceptable in historical fiction, but should be noted).
Content review:
This novel contains descriptions of violence, mostly as applied to slaves, and a moderate amount of physical intimacy.
My Recommendation:
I recommend West of Santillane to readers who, like me, enjoy an exciting story that shows how major historical trends and events—such as slavery and Lewis and Clark’s cross-country expedition—shape the lives of people, from the privileged to the oppressed.
Reader, can you recommend a novel or work of non-fiction about the expedition of William Clark, Meriwether Lewis, or their expedition?