Great River

One hundred twenty years before the historic
trek by Lewis and Clark, another band explored the central waterway of North
America on an adventure more harrowing and deadly than later explorers could
ever boast. Sponsored by the French, not the British, this journey is often
omitted in writing of American history, but its impact on the development of
the Mississippi River Valley is critical.
Fueled by Indian legends and dreams of rich rewards, an expedition led by a
French nobleman, a priest, and Indian guides set off on an unprecedented
adventure from Canada down to the Gulf of Mexico. They battled hostile natives,
vicious weather, and the treacherous nature of the great river that would later
be called the Mississippi. When Robert Cavelier de La Salle and his crew
finally reached the waterway's mouth in 1682, they had accomplished much more
than a historic exploration of North America. They had paved the way for others
to settle the new frontier.
This is the story of La Salle and the journey that would make him a hero in
France and what would one day be the United States. His crew's physical and
psychological strengths were tested to extremes during the adventure. This
exciting and historic novel introduces the players who planned and executed the
trek through the heartland and the south. La Salle's voyage led the way for the
economic gold mine of the Mississippi's waterways and the prosperous cities
that would later rely on the great river for trade and transportation.
Glen Pitre, a graduate of Harvard University, is an author and film
producer. His first book, Belizaire the Cajun, was based on the
film by the same name. Michelle Benoit holds degrees in French studies and
Romance languages and is a published translator whose works have appeared in
New Orleans Review, Chelsea, and Colorado Review.