The Broken Blade by William Durbin

From the Publisher

In 1800, 13-year-old Pierre La Page never imagined he'd be leaving Montreal to paddle 2,400 miles. It was something older men, like his father, did. But when Pierre's father has an accident, Pierre quits school to become a voyageur for the North West Company, so his family can survive the winter. It's hard for Pierre as the youngest in the brigade. From the treacherous waters and cruel teasing to his aching and bloodied hands, Pierre is miserable. Still he has no choice but to endure the trip to Grand Portage and back.

Publishers Weekly

In 1800, a 13-year-old boy takes his father's place on an arduous canoe trip across Lake Superior. "This adventure tale will give rise to daydreams of a more rugged time," said PW. Ages 10-up. (May)

VOYA

After his father injures himself, thirteen-year-old Pierre quits school and enlists as a voyageur for the North West Company in order to help support his family. In the spring of 1800, Pierre sets off on a 2400-mile canoe trip to help transport trade goods and furs from Montreal to the Pacific Ocean. Pierre begins the journey as an unseasoned boy and is forced to endure blistered hands, an aching back, and relentless teasing from the men in his brigade. At the end of the summer, Pierre's father tells him that he left home a boy, but returned a man. The daily lives of the French Canadian voyageurs are described in vivid detail in this book. It would provide good supplemental reading for a history class studying this time period. VOYA Codes: 3Q 3P M (Readable without serious defects, Will appeal with pushing, and Middle School-defined as grades 6 to 8).

School Library Journal

Gr 5-8-Pierre, 13, is the son of a voyager, one of the French-Canadian canoemen who plied the fur trade in Canada during the last two centuries. When his father severely injures himself in a wood-chopping accident, Pierre signs on with his father's company in order to keep the family from poverty. The bulk of the novel is structured around the boy's first canoe trip to the wilderness outpost of Grand Portage. Along the way, he faces many challenges and has great adventures. He grows in physical strength and matures both mentally and spiritually. In short, he becomes a man. The combination of historical fiction set in 1800 with a coming-of-age tale works well here. Pierre's companions on his journey are a rowdy, disreputable lot, but they pull together when they must. There is the requisite bully whose respect Pierre must earn and a good-natured boss who has faith in him. The drowning of one of the boatmen sobers the crew and brings home to Pierre the very real dangers they face. The work is grueling and the food monotonous, but the men enjoy a rough camaraderie and savor the natural beauty that surrounds them. Middle school students will be attracted to this enjoyable, fast-moving story.-Bruce Anne Shook, Mendenhall Middle School, Greensboro, NC

Kirkus Reviews

Durbin's first novel is an impressive coming-of-age tale set in Montreal at the dawn of the 19th century.

When Pierre's father severely cuts himself while doing one of the boy's chores, the guilt-ridden 13-year-old leaves school and enlists as a voyageur for the North West Company. Voyageurs freighted goods thousands of miles, from Montreal to Grand Portage. As one of the rowers in one of the convoy's canoes, Pierre, who knows his family will not last the winter without his wages, paddles 1618 hours a day, with few breaks. Soon, bloodied, blistering hands, aching muscles, and taunts from the older, more seasoned voyageurs fill his days. While the physical demands threaten to crush his spirit, Pierre nevertheless remains open- minded, and soon kinder men like La Londe and Charbonneau offer friendly advice and keep an eye out for the hardworking young man. Durbin brings in a wealth of facts about the canoes, the countryside, and tools the voyageurs used, all adding realism to the tale. The sudden drowning of La Londe sends the boy into a confrontation with grief that leaves him with a clear-eyed view of mortality. The teasing and name-calling of the crustier voyageurs is unrelenting, but appropriate for this salty, rough, and feisty bunch. Readers will embrace this unusual journey and its path to true bravery, strength of character, and self-reliance.

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