Sign-Talker: The Adventure of George Drouillard on the Lewis and Clark Expedition

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Random House Publishing Group, Aug 18, 2010 - Fiction - 512 pages
“A cracking good yarn . . . sheer storytelling power . . . James Alexander Thom is one of the finest historical novelists writing today. . . . Anyone who thinks there’s nothing left to be said about the Lewis and Clark expedition should read this book.”—John Sugden, author of Tecumseh: A Life

Following the Louisiana Purchase, Thomas Jefferson sends Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore the newly acquired territory. To survive, the two captains need an extraordinary hunter who will be able to provide the expedition with fresh game, and a sign-talker to communicate with the native tribes. They choose George Drouillard. It is Drouillard, an actual historical figure, who becomes our eyes and ears on this unforgettable odyssey.

A magnificent tale told with intelligence and insight, Sign-Talker is full of song and suffering, humor and pathos. James Alexander Thom has created the rarest reading experience: one that entertains us even as it shows us a new vision of our nation, our past, and ourselves.

“Excellent . . . It is at once an adventure story [and] a historical document. . . . Even though many readers know the story of Lewis and Clark, Thom’s novel will give them new insight.”—The Indianapolis Star (four-star review)
 

Selected pages

Contents

Section 1
1
Section 2
3
Section 3
27
Section 4
52
Section 5
61
Section 6
71
Section 7
87
Section 8
113
Section 19
309
Section 20
326
Section 21
341
Section 22
352
Section 23
369
Section 24
375
Section 25
377
Section 26
400

Section 9
130
Section 10
148
Section 11
170
Section 12
187
Section 13
189
Section 14
210
Section 15
228
Section 16
251
Section 17
273
Section 18
299
Section 27
418
Section 28
431
Section 29
441
Section 30
443
Section 31
453
Section 32
459
Section 33
472
Section 34
490
Copyright

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About the author (2010)

James Alexander Thom was formerly a U.S. Marine, a newspaper and magazine editor, and a member of the faculty at the Indiana University Journalism School. He is the author of Follow the River, Long Knife, From Sea to Shining Sea, Panther in the Sky (for which he won the prestigious Western Writers of America Spur Award for best historical novel), The Children of First Man, and The Red Heart. He lives in the Indiana hill country near Bloomington with his wife, Dark Rain of the Shawnee Nation, United Remnant Band. Dark Rain is a director of the National Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Planning Council.

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