[A Saturday Feature of the First Road Blog]
“Hatred
did not drive (Evan Jacobsen) from Norway;” but in the remainder of Candace Simar’s
historical novel, Abercrombie Trail, he
tells the reader what did, and he unpacks the consequences of his arduous move to Minnesota.
While
the Civil War dragged on, Evan’s story presents a detailed and sometimes brutal
sketch of the drama faced by Scandinavian settlers in a region often overlooked
in the nation’s history books. In his
role as a stage driver on the route from Fort Snelling, Minnesota, to Fort
Abercrombie, on the North Dakota side of the Red River, Evan introduces us to a
host of characters and traces their fate during the Sioux uprising of 1862. He
also gives us an understanding of the stamina of those settlers and the impact
of the War Between the States in states where the war was not being fought.
This
book is a must read for anyone who wants to know more than just the scenery through
which Interstate 94 passes between Minneapolis and Fargo. It is also a
worthwhile addition to the bibliography of any serious student of the Civil
War. Candace Simar knows the region and its history well and weaves a credible
story to help the reader “see” the people, places, and events of an era which
should not be forgotten.
As
an added note: the reader would be amply rewarded if he included with the book
a visit to the recreated Fort Abercrombie just a few miles south of Fargo,
North Dakota.
No comments:
Post a Comment