Hunting for the Mississippi

by Camille Bouchard, Peter McCambridge (Translator)

Overview

The year is 1684. Twelve-year-old Eustache Bréman leaves behind a life of misery begging on the streets of France for a second chance in the New World with his mom, his sweetheart Marie-Élisabeth, and Marie-Élisabeth's family. But life is tough, with plenty more tragedy and disappointment to come on De La Salle's ill-fated expedition to the Mississippi. Join Eustache as he comes of age in Louisiana, all in a sparkling English translation that's every bit as modern and playful as Camille Bouchard's original French.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781771860727
Publisher:	Baraka Books
Publication date:	05/01/2016
Pages:	210
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Camille Bouchard transports readers, young and old, across continents and epochs. A writer and an adventurer, he never stops writing and travelling. He has won Canada’s Governor General’s award and has been a finalist five times. He is the author of more than 80 novels for readers of all ages. This is the first book by Camille Bouchard to appear in English. Peter McCambridge is a full-time, award-winning literary translator. Originally from Ireland, he holds a BA in modern languages from Cambridge University.

Table of Contents

Reader's Note 11

Part I La Rochelle, 1684

1 It's a Tough Life 15

2 The Fruit Beneath the Hoof 20

3 Going on a Big-a Very Big-Ship 25

Part II At Sea

4 Work for Pigs 33

5 Speaking of Mr. De La Salle 38

6 The Ceremony Under Threat 41

7 The Happiest Two Settlers 45

8 Raised Voices 48

9 Grey Splotches 53

10 Sailing Lesson 60

Part III America

11 Naked Like Animals 65

12 On Dry Land 68

13 The Natives Attack 72

14 Thunder in the Blue Sky 78

15 The Birthday 83

16 Don't Blaspheme 86

17 The Crocodile 91

18 The End of L'Aimable 96

19 Separation 101

Part IV Royal Land

20 Hunting for the Mississippi 109

21 Savages and a Snake 115

22 The New Fort 119

23 Insulting Our Mothers 124

24 The Lame 128

25 The Sound of the Hummingbird 132

26 The Disappearance 138

27 Divine Impotence 143

28 Once Blue 149

29 The Cry of the Wolf 156

Part V The Final Expedition

30 The Final Expedition 163

31 As Though He Knew 167

32 Crossing the River 173

33 Mr. De La Salle's Premonition 177

34 Back at Camp 181

35 Among Rebels 186

36 The Return of the Hummingbird 192

37 The Vengeful God 199

What Happened Next 205

About the Historical Characters 207

Editorial Reviews

03/14/2016
Bouchard, whose Le ricanement des hyènes won a Governor General’s Award in 2005, gains his first English-language translation with this story based on the fragmentary history of an ill-fated 1684 expedition headed by René-Robert Cavelier to found Louisiana in Spanish territory. The tale is told from the vantage point of Eustache Bréman, the 12-year-old son of a French widow whose only option for survival is begging. To escape this fate, she is persuaded by a friend to become part of the group that will cross the Atlantic to found the French colony. The tale is littered with female suffering that serves as the impetus for male action, particularly the repeated rape of a girl (starting at age 10) as a cause for revenge. (In a closing note, the author explains that he changed “a detail or two that helped the novel along,” the invented sexual assault plotline apparently being one such detail.) Aboriginal people are essentially ignored other than the ways that they threaten or aid the European party, and good, virtuous, loyal citizens are the ones who survive. Ages 14–up. (May)

Publishers Weekly

"Governor General’s Literary Award–winning author Bouchard is a master storyteller, seamlessly weaving together fact and fiction . . . Complex, intricately drawn characters and Bouchard’s matter-of-fact prose (adeptly translated by Peter McCambridge) dominate the book . . . . Brimming with human emotion, Hunting for the Mississippi is a sombre yet captivating look at a grim period of early North American history." —Jessica Rose, quillandquire.com


"The voyage scenes introduce readers to (real-life) characters who were at odds with La Salle and his associates. Several resented his privileged social status. Eustache and his family and friends are loyal to their leader, and Eustache is thrilled to become one of his messenger boys. The men who later kill La Salle and his nephew are depicted as surly thugs . . . . Camille Bouchard is a master of the cliff-hanger chapter ending . . . . a sophisticated, compelling novel. Recommended." —Ruth Latta, CM Volume XX11 Number 35, unmanitoba.ca


"Bouchard has combed the research and offers a fresh take on what happened to De La Salle’s expedition. In Hunting for the Mississippi, the author weaves an exciting tale based largely on true events. He brings 17th-century America alive with vivid detail and colourful characters in this fast-paced adventure story that will entertain readers of all ages." —John Spychka, lifeinquebec.com


"Told in the voice of Eustache, and based on historical records, this gripping fictional coming-of-age story reveals the violence and horrors of the voyage and the lusts and pride of the men who fought to survive in a strange new land. (Rated 5 Hearts)" —Kristine Morris, Foreword Reviews

From the Publisher