Bay of the North is an exciting adventure story of Pierre Radisson's explorations of North America. He has many encounters with Native Americans that leave the reader with insights into their culture. Early in his life, Radisson finds himself in difficult situations and makes some very poor choices. (This could make for a good discussion with your kids). Although the descriptions are not graphic, scenes of murder and torture may be difficult for young readers.
I read this to my 7 and 11 year old boys and we all found it fascinating.
After recently reading a book about the beginning of the Hudson's Bay Company and becoming intrigued with Pierre Radisson, I discovered this book. What a great read! I finished it in a day (thanks to a power outage) and enjoyed it immensely. It's very well written and engages the reader at once with Pierre and his exploits. I noticed some discrepancies between the information in this book and the one I'd read previously but they were minor and didn't affect the historical significance of what this man and his companion Medard des Groseilliers accomplished. I found myself pulling out maps of Canada and Wisconsin to follow their exploits and was amazed at their endurance, bravery and fortitude. They were a tough and hardy breed and make us of the 21st century look like a bunch of wimps who complain about even the most minor of inconveniences. I fear that schools are remiss in teaching children about these types of explorers and it's certainly their loss. The significance of the fur traders and their role in opening up the Great Lakes region and Canada is being forgotten by all but a few. One thing that struck me as ironic is that greed was just as prevalent then as it is now. Unfortunate, because it always ruins something that begins with the best intentions. Highly recommended.
—5-star Reviews from Amazon.com
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