To the Ends of the Earth: The Last Journey of Lewis & Clark

"To the Ends of the Earth; The Last Journey of Lewis and Clark," is a wonderful work of historical fiction. I'll admit that in the beginning, the first twenty pages or so, did not grab my attention at all. I found myself wondering how on earth I was going to get through this entire novel. Suddenly it was an hour later, I was over a hundred pages into the story, and completely intoxicated by it. The story is absolutely incredible, and once I got into it, I couldn't make myself put it down. We all know who Lewis & Clark were (if you don't, go find out on your own, I'm not going to explain it to you here.) but what we don't all readily know, is what happened to them after their three year expedition. That is what this book is about. It opens in 1809, and Lewis is a man in trouble. He's drinking too much, writing government vouchers for things that later will not be honored, postponing the writing of his novel, and lying to his best friend. Due to a corrupt adversary within the US government, Lewis sets out for Federal City (the then name for Washington DC) In tow, are all his journals, maps and notes from his previous expedition. En route, Lewis is faced with enemies and allies alike, sometimes making it impossible for him to tell the difference. Hearing that his friend may be in trouble, Clark packs up and leaves after him, hoping to save his friend. Its hard to explain what takes place on the journey to Federal City without ruining the story for those who would like to read it. Just know that its full of twists and turns, ups and downs, chaos and honor. It's a story you won't soon forget, and one that should be added to any historical fiction library.

To the Ends of the Earth: The Last Journey of Lewis & Clark is a very interesting read....not only a good historical fiction book, but also a compelling mystery. It was such an intriguing read that it was difficult to put down. I especially enjoyed the characterizations. The development of the people portrayed in this book added a great deal of realism to this novel. One can tell that the author researched extensively her subject matter. The book was quite authentic in time and place and sent the reader back to this fascinating period to learn more about this famous pair of explorers and the mysteries associated with their lives after their famous expedition.

Frances Hunter is a pen name for two sisters, Liz and Mary Clare, who wrote "To The Ends of The Earth: The Last Journey of Lewis & Clark" together. It deals with the course of the relationship between Lewis and Clark and the mysterious death of Lewis in 1809, shot in a lonely inn on the Natchez Trace. Timed for release on September 23, 2006, "To The Ends of The Earth" will mark the end of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial. "To the Ends of The Earth" is both a historical novel and a gripping mystery. It begins where the great expedition of 1803-1806 ends, with Lewis and Clark receiving kudos, fame, and political appointments. Lewis is appointed governor of Louisiana Territory, a virtual kingdom in size, and Clark becomes the Indian superintendent and militia general for the Louisiana Territory. Life in St. Louis, the center from which they operate, is colorful and unregulated in the extreme. While Clark, the more stable of the two, manages to marry well and begin to court financial success, Lewis finds the reality of post Expedition fame less than palatable, and he sinks into a frightening disintegration of mental illness and alcoholism. The story turns on the relationship between Clark and Lewis, and also the relationship between Clark and York, his companion and slave since childhood. "To the Ends of the Earth" is full of gritty historical detail and raw imagery that rings true across the years. "To The Ends of The Earth" is historical fiction at its best, pulling the reader in and re-engaging the mind and imagination in the drama that occurred 200 years ago.

"To the Ends of the Earth" is a very good read. The characters are among the most authentic and convincing I've encountered in contemporary writing. Due to the suspense I couldn't wait to finish the story, but I find that now I miss the characters like old friends I don't get to talk to anymore. I always admire the way novelists can imagine so many details of speech, motivation, reactions and growth, but I seldom find so much insight into human experience as here. What's it like to be someone's lifelong buddy and partner -- and his slave at the same time? What's it like to be world-famous but so alone there's no one nearby you can trust? What's it like to feel you absolutely must take action, with life-or-death hinging on it, yet knowing you are utterly ignorant of what may be required? The author of the "To the Ends of the Earth" skilfully weaves these touching, even desperate, dramas into the fabric of the novel's dialogue and narrative. While getting a clear sense of everyday frontier life in the early 1800s, you come to an intimate recognition that life "inside the self" hasn't really changed. In addition to its faithfulness to history, the plot is coherent and smooth yet cleverly structured around the characters' individual crises. By focusing each chapter on an individual, at a certain point in time, the author is free to develop the human side of the story using imagination. She does this so well that, while the plot is connecting the dots of the historical events, the fiction communicates genuine wisdom about people. About halfway through, the story slows down a little as the protagonists get bogged down in indecision and what seem to be mundane affairs. This isn't a defect in creativity or craftsmanship, it's what happened: the circumstances of the main protagonists just dragged on, without improving, and they feel the strain of facing the same facts every day -- rather like the reader does. I wasn't sure what the real drama was. I wasn't sure what the suspense was, exactly, and what the stakes were, precisely. It wasn't as clear as a purely fictional who-done-it or romance. A lot like real life, the ultimate issues remained dimly seen and blurred. But when the decisive move is made, the drama turns intense and palpable, and it swept me along irresistibly. Like I said, "To the Ends of the Earth" is a very good read.

This is a well-written historical novel that manifests a great deal of painstaking research. I am not an expert on the period, so I cannot comment on the historical details, but as an avid reader I was constantly impressed by the ability of the writer to turn a descriptive phrase that makes you feel like you are there. The characters are complex, rounded, and real. No one is one-dimensional. The moral ambiguities in the main characters add to the authenticity of the story. This is reality. No one is completely good or completely evil. The interaction between Clark and his slave York was especially intriguing to me. It is amazing how fragile and vulnerable our republic was during this period. This is a great story, and it gave me a new-found respect for these two American heroes.