Sign-Talker: The Adventure of George Drouillard on the Lewis and Clark Expedition

This was one of the most captivating adventures I've read about in a long time. I'm a slow reader, and enjoy savoring the details of a good book, but still surprised myself as I finished this in (for me) record time. J. A. Thom's intensely sensitive portrayal of the conflicted and insightful soul of Lewis and Clark's half Shawnee, half French communicator and hunter, George Drouillard, made the details of two-year expedition come alive. Other accountings I've read of the Lewis and Clark Expedition left me dry, but Thom fills in the facts with riveting narrative and anchors it with fascinating historical journal entries. A thoroughly good read. Thank you, Mr. Thom.

Thom's Sign Talker draws in the reader from the very start. This is an action-packed, intelligent, effective novel that vividly leads you through the trials and triumphs of Lewis and Clark's journey, as seen through the eyes of their Native American interpreter. As always, Thom gives life to his characters with tremendous insight into human nature. A respectable novel I can highly recommend to anyone who enjoys adventure and history.

If you are interested in the Lewis and Clark expedition,then this is the book for you. It is one of the best booksI have ever read. It brought the expedition to life for meand made me feel like I was there. My main problem withthe book is that it is a novel. I would have preferred a biography, even though a biography would not have been asmuch fun to read. On almost every page I found myself asking, "Did Thom make this up, or did it really happen?"Here are a few examples. Did George Drouillard think of himself as 100% Indian, Indian and French, or French?Did Drouillard have a special friendship with Clark's black slave, York? Was Drouillard so bold as to frequentlypester York for York to ask Clark for his freedom and getaway? Was Lewis slightly crazy at the beginning of theexpedition, or did he go crazy as the trip progressed?Could Drouillard conduct detailed and complex conversationswith every Indian tribe he met, using only sign language?Did Drouillard have the wisdom and attitude of a twentieth-century liberal?

Long overshadowed by Lewis, Clark, and Sacagaweah, George Drouillard finally gets his due in this latest historical novel from James Alexander Thom. A French-Canadian/Shawnee mixed blood, Drouillard is recruited by Lewis and Clark to accompany the Corps of Discovery on their famous journey across the West to the Pacific Ocean and back. Along the way, Drouillard acts as hunter and interpreter, helping to keep the expedition alive and to provide positive relations with the many Indian tribes encountered along the way. We get a different interpretation of the journey, that of a non-white outsider who knows only too well the ultimate fate of these yet unspoiled lands and the native peoples who inhabit them. It is in stark contrast to the heroification that oozes from many other traditional treatments of this subject. It is a refreshing look at the complex personalities that made up this arduous crusade across a continent. While the Lewis and Clark Expedition was a great and momentous historic event which helped pave the way for the future of the country, Thom shows us the dark side too. Through Droulliard, we get a foreshadowing of the many years of hardships, triumphs, and tragedies that will come. Nearly forgotten by history today, the story of George Drouillard is indeed the tale of a true warrior and a great adventure.