THE SOUND OF AXES

by Fredericka Shumway Smith ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 22, 1965

The setting of this story, like Courageous Comrades (1960), is the woody Wisconsin of the 1830's. Since the Middle West rarely figures in stories of the American pioneers except as a stopping off point, the details which distinguish this locale from the rest of the wilderness should be welcome and could even have been made an integral part of the story. It deals with a logging project intended to clear enough land to establish a new settlement and is described from the point of view of a 12-year-old member of the crew. Logging was an important factor in the opening of the frontier, and the process is an interesting sidelight in American history. Unfortunately, however, this material tends to be submerged by the artificial incidents of the story, most of which involve a psychotic foreman trying to sabotage the project. The characterization is also disappointing.

Pub Date: March 22, 1965

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Rand McNally

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1965

Categories: FICTION