- Paperback: 352 pages
- Publisher: Mariner Books; Reprint edition (4 Jun 2003)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0618340718
- ISBN-13: 978-0618340712
- Product Dimensions: 22.7 x 13.9 x 2.3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 5,430,394 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
River Thieves is a beautifully written and compelling novel that breathes life into the pivotal events which shaped relations between the Beothuk Indians of Newfoundland and European settlers. Following a series of expeditions made under the order of the British Crown, the reader witnesses the tragic fallout from these missions as the Beothuk vanish and the web of secrets guarded by the settlers slowly begin to unravel ...Told in elegant sensual prose this is an enthralling historical novel of great passion and suspense, driven by the extraordinary cast of characters. And with it Michael Crummey establishes himself as one of Canada's most exciting new talents.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
About the Author
MICHAEL CRUMMEY is the author of three books of poetry and a collection of short stories. Born in Buchans, Newfoundland, he now lives in St John's.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Whether real or imagined I seem to be reading more work by writers and stories about Newfoundland. This is the first novel by Michael Crummey and, "River Thieves", is a very strong debut. The book has been compared to, "Cold Mountain", that I have not read, and to, "In The Fall", which I very much enjoyed. This work is not as sweeping a story as Jeffrey Lent's first book, however if you enjoy his writing you will enjoy this tale as well.
This story takes place primarily in the very early 19th Century although there are references to years that bracket the story. The atmosphere I take to be absolutely on point, as the author was borne and continues to live in the same settings on which his book takes place. This leap of faith is difficult to make when the reader has never been to the locale of the book, but Michael Crummey makes the presumption effortless.
The story is ostensibly about the demise of the, "Red Indians", or "The Beothuk". The reasons for the near extinction of these people is the result of the same effects felt throughout the Americas that settlers from Europe either brought with them, or practiced, disease or their desire to take the native population's land. Had the author restricted himself to this review of history, the book would have been too familiar. Instead the author gets deeply involved with a variety of players, and by sharing their stories reveals the fate of the Beothuk as well.
Included are settlers, criminals from England that have been transported, as well as the government officials that were the rule of law. The author also departs from attitudes and the people who hold and act on them. Governments have not been traditionally sympathetic to the indigenous people they found on new lands they claimed for King/Queen and country, Crummey changes that. He introduces, "Indians", which have become a part of the European community with a variety of results. And as he brings his tale to a close, it is not just governmental policy that shapes the fate of people and new nations, but often the people that hold a variety of positions, either governmental or in their communities, that can shape history as well.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is truly an epic, and most impressive for a first novel. The landscape pervades every chapter; a vast and brooding presence which will always have the last laugh at the tiny human dramas unfolding within it, not unlike Egdon Heath in Thomas Hardy's novels.
The characters reflect all walks of life, from the lowest (in terms of economic status and morals) to the relatively wealthy, privileged and law-abiding, though the latter struggle to maintain their superiority in the great leveller which is the Newfoundland wilderness.
There are some desperate characters who have perpetrated awful crimes, and of course we condemn them, yet always nagging at us as we read is the suspicion that given the toughness of their existence, would we ourselves fare any better?
Then there are those optimistic characters who, even though they have been treated worse than animals by their own kind, manage to not only survive, but to shine, and to draw others to the small but steady light which is their intrinsic humanity.
The most obvious (and terrible) message of this book is not only that the white man ultimately destroyed the Beothuk (the "Red Indians") by his selfishness, but that the white man also often abused, mistreated and destroyed his own kind, especially his women, and that so much inhumanity still exists throughout the world today.
The characters reflect all walks of life, from the lowest (in terms of economic status and morals) to the relatively wealthy, privileged and law-abiding, though the latter struggle to maintain their superiority in the great leveller which is the Newfoundland wilderness.
There are some desperate characters who have perpetrated awful crimes, and of course we condemn them, yet always nagging at us as we read is the suspicion that given the toughness of their existence, would we ourselves fare any better?
Then there are those optimistic characters who, even though they have been treated worse than animals by their own kind, manage to not only survive, but to shine, and to draw others to the small but steady light which is their intrinsic humanity.
The most obvious (and terrible) message of this book is not only that the white man ultimately destroyed the Beothuk (the "Red Indians") by his selfishness, but that the white man also often abused, mistreated and destroyed his own kind, especially his women, and that so much inhumanity still exists throughout the world today.
Format:Paperback
I loved this book, set in New Foundland at the beginning of the 10th century, it is a story of attempts at contact between the white settlers and the indigenous "red" indians. It is a hard , hard life described with realistic detail, but the main fascination in the story for me was the gradual revealing of the main characters and their relationships. There are some good, strong women characters and an interesting plot. Highly recommended.
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