Shining Mountains, Western Sea: The Epic Adventures of Two Unforgettable Members of Lewis and Clarks Corps of Discovery
by Margaret Wyman
Category: Fiction

1803 - Meriwether Lewis and William Clark begin the task of selecting a crew of men to accomplish what no one has ever done before: find the fabled Northwest Passage. Thomas Jefferson has other objectives - envisioning the destiny of the fledgling United States as a majestic nation stretching from sea to shining sea. As the Corps of Discovery embarks on May 14, 1804, the U.S. is 28 years old with 17 states in the Union; 2 out of 3 Americans live less than 50 miles from the Atlantic. West of the Mississippi lie nearly 1 million square miles of land without reliable maps, claimed by Spain, Britain, & Russia. This is the land coveted by Jefferson. Margaret Wyman tells the story of John Colter, 28, the oldest crewmember, assigned by Captain Lewis to mentor George Shannon, the youngest member of the crew. Sparks fly, but they tolerate each other to face raging rivers, hostile sergeants, unpredictable natives, starvation, thirst, foul weather, and injury. Eventually enmity turns to friendship as they discover a new country, new loves and themselves. "- an epic of the type penned in the 1970's, and so very well done it would hold its own against a John Jakes or a James Michener any day -" Midwest Book Review. Distribution: Baker & Taylor, Partners/West, Books/West, Sunbelt Publications or Idyllwild Publishing Co. P.O. Box 355, Idyllwild, CA 92549, 866-IDPUBCO; e-mail: ipc@tazland.net. Web: www.wildink.com.