false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174500784m/408037.jpg 408037 10 Set in the late 19th century, <I>The Last Crossing</I>, Guy Vanderhaeghe's first novel since his acclaimed <I>Englishman's Boy</I>, is the story of three well-off English brothers: twins Simon and Charles Gaunt and their elder sibling, Addington, a former soldier and an arrogant scoundrel. At the behest of their dictatorial father, Charles and Addington travel the prairies of the U.S. and Canada in search of sensitive Simon, who has disappeared. Much of the novel concerns their journeys--bottles of port and claret rattling in their wagons--through Indian country with a cast of intricately drawn, fully realized characters. The small troupe is led through the whiskey-coloured light by Jerry Potts, a half-breed with one foot firmly in each world. The heart of the plot involves the love that Charles, a painter, feels for Lucy Stoveall, a simple but lovely country woman who accompanies them, secretly intent on avenging her sister's murder. However, the most intriguing character in this marvelous collection of all-too-human personalities is Custis Straw, a Bible-reading, heavy-drinking Civil War veteran who hides his tremendous dignity behind a bumbling facade, and who also loves Lucy. <p> Vanderhaeghe's rich language reveals a genuine feel for the prairies and their rough settlements: "a boom town draws rogues like a jam jar draws wasps," he writes, and describes "miles of wet plain patched with apple green, new penny copper, glints of silver." Though this is a Western in the traditional sense, Vanderhaeghe never sinks into parody. Rather, he uses the Western motif to reveal a number of profound universal truths about personal honour, and human failings and strengths. His humane character depictions reach emotional depths found in few novels today. <I>--Mark Frutkin, Amazon.ca</I> 1183022 2003 The Last Crossing total:172|5:33|4:80|3:34|2:15|1:10| 172 627 256 40 1 2 false false Wed Dec 05 09:15:28 -0800 2007 Wed Dec 05 09:27:36 -0800 2007 more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue May 19 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue May 05 11:26:58 -0700 2009 Wed May 27 13:06:27 -0700 2009 brother, Simon. The older brother, Addington, is more concerned about how he
looks to the world and his sidekick writer, Ayto. Charles, the twin brother of
Simon, is more grounded and filled with real con...more...]]> 2 0 false false Thu Mar 19 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu Mar 19 09:13:17 -0700 2009 Thu Mar 19 09:16:56 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Sep 02 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 22 18:08:35 -0700 2009 Wed Sep 02 19:10:03 -0700 2009 2 more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Jul 30 07:13:45 -0700 2008 Thu Nov 06 12:14:32 -0800 2008 more...]]> 3 0 false false Sun Jul 13 01:05:23 -0700 2008 Sun Jul 13 01:23:52 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue Feb 17 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Fri Mar 06 05:11:45 -0800 2009 Fri Mar 06 05:18:52 -0800 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue Aug 11 07:59:59 -0700 2009 Tue Aug 11 08:03:40 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Thu Jul 09 15:14:56 -0700 2009 Thu Jul 09 15:18:34 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sat Aug 09 06:44:18 -0700 2008 Fri Aug 01 09:51:20 -0700 2008 Sat Aug 09 06:44:18 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Sun Dec 21 15:37:19 -0800 2008 Sun Dec 21 15:37:19 -0800 2008 4 0 false false Sun Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sun Jul 05 02:35:04 -0700 2009 Sun Jul 05 03:24:40 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Mon Jul 21 14:46:30 -0700 2008 Sat Oct 18 00:59:04 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Thu Aug 04 00:00:00 -0700 2005 Sat Feb 28 11:40:52 -0800 2009 Sat Feb 28 11:42:25 -0800 2009 4 0 false false Fri Nov 13 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Tue Nov 17 12:14:21 -0800 2009 Tue Nov 17 12:17:45 -0800 2009 3 0 false false Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Sat Oct 24 18:06:40 -0700 2009 Sat Oct 24 18:07:47 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Mon May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2006 Thu Nov 19 10:48:14 -0800 2009 Thu Nov 19 10:49:56 -0800 2009 Not so Good: disjointed story - good history interspersed with a weaker storyline.]]> 4 0 false false Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006 Wed Apr 08 18:43:11 -0700 2009 Wed Apr 08 18:44:58 -0700 2009 1 0 false false Thu Dec 27 21:56:36 -0800 2007 Thu Dec 27 20:14:05 -0800 2007 Thu Dec 27 21:55:46 -0800 2007 this up after 2 short chapters. The cover claims the author's won writing awards, but the writing is jarringly bad.

"The glaring light stabbed thorns in h...more...]]> 2 0 false false Fri Nov 21 12:17:40 -0800 2008 Fri Nov 21 12:18:18 -0800 2008 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=408037