In the flood of volumes marking the bicentennial of the epic journey, Wolf manages something fresh and alive—a mammoth novel of poetic narratives in 14 voices that treats the trek to the Pacific and back as a drama of many players, many voices. Voices such as Sacagawea’s sadness and longing, the spirited dialogues of the Field brothers, the chatty observations of 16-year-old George Shannon, William Clark’s gentlemanly tone, his slave York’s restrained commentaries, and the Newfoundland dog’s sensory descriptions. Some characters are made up and the personalities of others are exaggerated for effect to bring readers right into the mind, heart, and soul of the crew. Abundant detail and sharply defined characters are the fruits of four years of research, represented by an excellent author’s note, a fascinating “What Became of Them?” section, good maps, and a list of the crew and the Native American nations encountered. The volume’s size may intimidate some readers, but this is a must for libraries, a treasure for classrooms. (expedition miscellany, bibliography, Internet resources, glossary) (Fiction. 10+)
