What do you think?
Rate this book
This Godforsaken Place
The year is 1885 and Abigail Peacock is resisting what seems to be an inevitable future—a sensible career as a teacher and marriage to the earnestly attentive local storeowner.
But then she buys a rifle, and everything changes.
This Godforsaken Place is the absorbing tale of one tenacious woman’s journey set against the dramatic backdrop of the Canadian Wilderness and American Wild West. Told by four narrators—including Annie Oakley and Gabriel Dumont—Abigail’s story brings the high stakes of the New World into startling focus.
But then she buys a rifle, and everything changes.
This Godforsaken Place is the absorbing tale of one tenacious woman’s journey set against the dramatic backdrop of the Canadian Wilderness and American Wild West. Told by four narrators—including Annie Oakley and Gabriel Dumont—Abigail’s story brings the high stakes of the New World into startling focus.
240 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2015
6 people are currently reading
14268 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
September 18, 2015
this book has been out for a month and there are still no reviews for it. which is pretty telling. i read an arc of it last fall, so i'm drawing upon my long-ago memories of it and the notes and foldy-pages in my copy, but it didn't really leave much of an impression on me. and now i learn that my inability to review it has hindered erica in her professional life, which makes me even more guilty-feeling. <---- that's what i wrote three months ago, after erica made me feel guilty. and i STILL managed to make zero progress with this review.
many of the books that have been awaiting reviews on this here windowsill have been review-procrastinated because i didn't feel i had anything to say about them, this one more than most.
and now finally there IS a review on here for the book, which mirrors some of my own thoughts.
there's nothing wrong with this book, it's just a little dull. technically it's historical adventure fiction, but it's the kind of adventure writing that is more concerned about the mechanics of survival than it is with standoffs with bears or white water rafting or gentlemen with banjos:
January coached me that whenever I want to make camp, I am to scavenge a few of the evergreen saplings around me, as common here as shells in a seashore. Once I tie them into a rough tent structure, I am to draw over it the tarpaulin he bequeathed to me. Instantly, I have a natural shelter from snow and wind. If the night is too cold to sleep, I am to build a fire, throw rocks into it until they are hot, then use his thick leather gloves to roll the rocks into my tent. In no time I'll have a heated bedroom that would be the envy of anyone climbing into bed in England. It's ingenious, really. Once I douse the fire, I can cover the tent with more evergreen branches and disappear safely under the brush.
it's a four-part book with four different narrators in which the longest portion of the book is told through journal entries, so that partially accounts for its less whizzbangy tone. spanning the years from 1885-1897, it follows a woman and a rifle's journey from canada down into the united states, where it's all outlaws and indians and pinkertons, oh my, and it features real-life historical figures like wild bill and annie oakley (who narrates part of the book). there's a lot of really interesting detail about the aboriginal tribes of canada, particularly around the métis rebellion, and it's got plucky abigail peacock waging her own rebellion against the schoolmarm-and-marriage expectations that would hold her back from greatness. the writing itself is good, it's just a little dry, a little dull. it frequently reads like nonfiction instead of well-researched historical fiction - it just doesn't come alive on the page with sparkles.
can maggie help with this review??
- all i remember is that when you were reading this, you were not feeding me. and that was not my favorite thing ever. now shhhh naptime.
so there. a review for a book i read nearly a year ago that i can now remove from the stack of books that makes me feel bad about myself. hooray for progress.
many of the books that have been awaiting reviews on this here windowsill have been review-procrastinated because i didn't feel i had anything to say about them, this one more than most.
and now finally there IS a review on here for the book, which mirrors some of my own thoughts.
there's nothing wrong with this book, it's just a little dull. technically it's historical adventure fiction, but it's the kind of adventure writing that is more concerned about the mechanics of survival than it is with standoffs with bears or white water rafting or gentlemen with banjos:
January coached me that whenever I want to make camp, I am to scavenge a few of the evergreen saplings around me, as common here as shells in a seashore. Once I tie them into a rough tent structure, I am to draw over it the tarpaulin he bequeathed to me. Instantly, I have a natural shelter from snow and wind. If the night is too cold to sleep, I am to build a fire, throw rocks into it until they are hot, then use his thick leather gloves to roll the rocks into my tent. In no time I'll have a heated bedroom that would be the envy of anyone climbing into bed in England. It's ingenious, really. Once I douse the fire, I can cover the tent with more evergreen branches and disappear safely under the brush.
it's a four-part book with four different narrators in which the longest portion of the book is told through journal entries, so that partially accounts for its less whizzbangy tone. spanning the years from 1885-1897, it follows a woman and a rifle's journey from canada down into the united states, where it's all outlaws and indians and pinkertons, oh my, and it features real-life historical figures like wild bill and annie oakley (who narrates part of the book). there's a lot of really interesting detail about the aboriginal tribes of canada, particularly around the métis rebellion, and it's got plucky abigail peacock waging her own rebellion against the schoolmarm-and-marriage expectations that would hold her back from greatness. the writing itself is good, it's just a little dry, a little dull. it frequently reads like nonfiction instead of well-researched historical fiction - it just doesn't come alive on the page with sparkles.
can maggie help with this review??
- all i remember is that when you were reading this, you were not feeding me. and that was not my favorite thing ever. now shhhh naptime.
so there. a review for a book i read nearly a year ago that i can now remove from the stack of books that makes me feel bad about myself. hooray for progress.
March 21, 2016
i reviewed this book in ARC form here, but i was told that it had changed significantly before its final, published version. which of course made me feel bad because i am someone who feels bad, so i read it again. and here we are.
it definitely has changed from the version i read, and it's somewhat more interesting, but it turns out that the things that were changed weren't really the things i personally had issues with. however, i will say that it is much easier to write a review for a book when it is fresh in my mind than it is trying to cobble something together months and months after the fact.
it starts out fine - we are introduced to abigail peacock; a narrator very reminiscent of the gruff/cranky narrator from True Grit and the novel takes the same shape - an older woman looking back on her life and adventures with the perspective of age. i really liked her spirit in the prologue, as she complains about the human impulse to record history: The occurrence of an event does not mean we should immortalize it or keep going back to it as a dog to vomit. but she is being hounded by someone else to write her story and she says, I know well enough that once he sets his mind on something he will not stop talking about it. Since I can stomach only so much jabber, I have resigned myself.
and then whoooosh back in time to when she was a young englishwoman in 1885 who, following the death of her mother, moves with her father to the wilderness of wabigoon, canada, to start a new life. but it is a hard life:
Class distinction fell on desolate soil in this country because survival in uniformly rough circumstances depended on other standards. Money made paltry difference in a place where there was little to buy. Hardship was instead displaced by the ability to hunt, fish, or chop wood.
when her father falls ill, abigail finds herself at a loss - trapped in a strange land, caring for her father, seeing her future narrow to becoming a wife and teacher and falling victim to the same deathbed regrets as her mother, who lived within a very small compass.
of course, the hardships of this new land came with its own regrets
Grief is not always caused by a random outside force visited upon the innocent; it can be actively solicited by manifestly stupid decisions. I should have twigged there was something wrong with a place where land was being given away. England's problems were dwarfed by the magnitude of this monstrous country. After two years here in Wabigoon, Father, whether he granted it or not, had evidently come to the conclusion that he did, after all, make a mistake, and wanted to follow Mother into the grave. I did not blame him.
her antipathy to becoming a small woman in a big land leads her to wander in the wilderness, teaching herself to shoot, where she comes across a dying man; an outlaw, and her meetings with him culminate in an act that will spur her on to the great adventure of her life, taking her through canada and eventually to new york, where she meets annie oakley and several other historical figures. however, the rest of the book does not have the same fun-curmudgeonly voice as the prologue, and after that first introduction, i just wasn't connecting with the character, whose moral primness was off-putting to me (incidentally, also my reaction to True Grit). abigail is bucking conventions and standards of femininity by wearing trousers, straddling a horse like a man, shooting guns, and shoveling manure, but she is morally rigid and inflexible in a way that i found irritating, and she's always making these grand pronouncements:
There is not one mind for the one who follows the law and another for the one who breaks the law. There is only the decision. If we fight for what is good, the outcome does not matter.
and
--Pragmatism is a coward's way out. You start with the truth, and you fight for it. The outcome is not the issue.
overall, i wasn't crazy about this writing style. there's something very stiff to it that reads more like nonfiction than historical fiction. which is the same complaint i had about Wolf Hall, even though i had enjoyed other books by hilary mantel prior to that one. and since everyone loved that book, it's clear that that style isn't off-putting to everyone, just me.
there's just a lot of chunky historical exposition that doesn't flow the way it ought to in a novel:
In my mind's eye, I reeled at the spectacle of this gigantic movement of men and animals west. The job of feeding the men alone required 75,000 pounds of food to be moved, not to mention the 775,000 pounds of forage for the livestock that pulled the wagons to bring the food.
and her reflections upon reading in the newspaper the continuing story about louis riel, the resistance leader whose story serves as a backdrop throughout the novel:
Incredibly, there was no end to Riel's demands. He wanted two million acres earmarked as an endowment for the building and maintenance of school, hospitals, and orphanages. This he saw as a down payment for the eventual value of a new Northwest Territories nation. His calculation was based on a market value of forty cents an acre for the entire area, to be divided between the Indians and Metis at the rate of twenty-five cents to the Metis and fifteen cents to the Indians. Further, he wanted one hundred thousand dollars for himself, which he considered the value of the land he had to give up back in 1869, when he was banished for his role in the insurrection in Manitoba. Although, he insinuated that he might settle for thirty-five thousand dollars.
that's just … a lot to absorb. and it feels less narrative than it should - it feels like reading a straight history book.
it's a shame because every so often, abigail lets drop a little of the sniffy attitude i liked in the prologue:
-- This rough country is no place for a woman riding a horse alone.
I should have anticipated the reaction, except that having already spent so many days as a woman travelling alone in rough country, I had become sloppy about remembering what was impossible for a woman.
which is great and spunky and all that, but earlier on the page, she reverts back to robot, when asked if she is on her way to meet a husband:
--Goodness, no. I am a teacher. I plan to settle wherever I find a congenial population wishing to be educated
and sometimes it just takes a long time to unpack a sentence because the language is so clunky:
The other type of silence deadens all life around it. It occurs when everyone in the environment detects a danger that no one has the power to confront. The palpable temperature of cold dread is set by the hysterical hope that an oppressive power might remain insensible to its own possibilities.
for people who read a lot more nonfiction/history than i do, this is probably a fantastic book because it is very well-researched and it gives insight into the politics and social climate of a time and place that doesn't get a lot of play in fiction. i'm probably just being a lazy reader, but like Wolf Hall, this felt less like leisure reading and more like school. i'm still three-starring it because i liked a lot of it, and i did learn a thing or two, but it was a lot slower of a read than most 200-page books.
#karenisdumb.
it definitely has changed from the version i read, and it's somewhat more interesting, but it turns out that the things that were changed weren't really the things i personally had issues with. however, i will say that it is much easier to write a review for a book when it is fresh in my mind than it is trying to cobble something together months and months after the fact.
it starts out fine - we are introduced to abigail peacock; a narrator very reminiscent of the gruff/cranky narrator from True Grit and the novel takes the same shape - an older woman looking back on her life and adventures with the perspective of age. i really liked her spirit in the prologue, as she complains about the human impulse to record history: The occurrence of an event does not mean we should immortalize it or keep going back to it as a dog to vomit. but she is being hounded by someone else to write her story and she says, I know well enough that once he sets his mind on something he will not stop talking about it. Since I can stomach only so much jabber, I have resigned myself.
and then whoooosh back in time to when she was a young englishwoman in 1885 who, following the death of her mother, moves with her father to the wilderness of wabigoon, canada, to start a new life. but it is a hard life:
Class distinction fell on desolate soil in this country because survival in uniformly rough circumstances depended on other standards. Money made paltry difference in a place where there was little to buy. Hardship was instead displaced by the ability to hunt, fish, or chop wood.
when her father falls ill, abigail finds herself at a loss - trapped in a strange land, caring for her father, seeing her future narrow to becoming a wife and teacher and falling victim to the same deathbed regrets as her mother, who lived within a very small compass.
of course, the hardships of this new land came with its own regrets
Grief is not always caused by a random outside force visited upon the innocent; it can be actively solicited by manifestly stupid decisions. I should have twigged there was something wrong with a place where land was being given away. England's problems were dwarfed by the magnitude of this monstrous country. After two years here in Wabigoon, Father, whether he granted it or not, had evidently come to the conclusion that he did, after all, make a mistake, and wanted to follow Mother into the grave. I did not blame him.
her antipathy to becoming a small woman in a big land leads her to wander in the wilderness, teaching herself to shoot, where she comes across a dying man; an outlaw, and her meetings with him culminate in an act that will spur her on to the great adventure of her life, taking her through canada and eventually to new york, where she meets annie oakley and several other historical figures. however, the rest of the book does not have the same fun-curmudgeonly voice as the prologue, and after that first introduction, i just wasn't connecting with the character, whose moral primness was off-putting to me (incidentally, also my reaction to True Grit). abigail is bucking conventions and standards of femininity by wearing trousers, straddling a horse like a man, shooting guns, and shoveling manure, but she is morally rigid and inflexible in a way that i found irritating, and she's always making these grand pronouncements:
There is not one mind for the one who follows the law and another for the one who breaks the law. There is only the decision. If we fight for what is good, the outcome does not matter.
and
--Pragmatism is a coward's way out. You start with the truth, and you fight for it. The outcome is not the issue.
overall, i wasn't crazy about this writing style. there's something very stiff to it that reads more like nonfiction than historical fiction. which is the same complaint i had about Wolf Hall, even though i had enjoyed other books by hilary mantel prior to that one. and since everyone loved that book, it's clear that that style isn't off-putting to everyone, just me.
there's just a lot of chunky historical exposition that doesn't flow the way it ought to in a novel:
In my mind's eye, I reeled at the spectacle of this gigantic movement of men and animals west. The job of feeding the men alone required 75,000 pounds of food to be moved, not to mention the 775,000 pounds of forage for the livestock that pulled the wagons to bring the food.
and her reflections upon reading in the newspaper the continuing story about louis riel, the resistance leader whose story serves as a backdrop throughout the novel:
Incredibly, there was no end to Riel's demands. He wanted two million acres earmarked as an endowment for the building and maintenance of school, hospitals, and orphanages. This he saw as a down payment for the eventual value of a new Northwest Territories nation. His calculation was based on a market value of forty cents an acre for the entire area, to be divided between the Indians and Metis at the rate of twenty-five cents to the Metis and fifteen cents to the Indians. Further, he wanted one hundred thousand dollars for himself, which he considered the value of the land he had to give up back in 1869, when he was banished for his role in the insurrection in Manitoba. Although, he insinuated that he might settle for thirty-five thousand dollars.
that's just … a lot to absorb. and it feels less narrative than it should - it feels like reading a straight history book.
it's a shame because every so often, abigail lets drop a little of the sniffy attitude i liked in the prologue:
-- This rough country is no place for a woman riding a horse alone.
I should have anticipated the reaction, except that having already spent so many days as a woman travelling alone in rough country, I had become sloppy about remembering what was impossible for a woman.
which is great and spunky and all that, but earlier on the page, she reverts back to robot, when asked if she is on her way to meet a husband:
--Goodness, no. I am a teacher. I plan to settle wherever I find a congenial population wishing to be educated
and sometimes it just takes a long time to unpack a sentence because the language is so clunky:
The other type of silence deadens all life around it. It occurs when everyone in the environment detects a danger that no one has the power to confront. The palpable temperature of cold dread is set by the hysterical hope that an oppressive power might remain insensible to its own possibilities.
for people who read a lot more nonfiction/history than i do, this is probably a fantastic book because it is very well-researched and it gives insight into the politics and social climate of a time and place that doesn't get a lot of play in fiction. i'm probably just being a lazy reader, but like Wolf Hall, this felt less like leisure reading and more like school. i'm still three-starring it because i liked a lot of it, and i did learn a thing or two, but it was a lot slower of a read than most 200-page books.
#karenisdumb.
January 12, 2016
This Godforsaken Place is a well-paced work of historical fiction, incorporating such well known characters from Canadian and American history as Gabriel Dumont and Annie Oakley (as well as Louis Riel and Bill Cody) in ways the reader will never suspect. Obviously meticulously researched, it is penned in the voice of an independent, educated female protagonist — Abigail Peacock — who discovers over the course of the novel that she desires to escape the predictability and monotony of her new world, small-town home to blaze her own trail and experience something truly incredible.
The trials, victories, and failures in Abigail's journey of self discovery, and the people she meets along the way, make for a wonderful journey for the reader as well. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in North American history, tales of self discovery, or accounts of wonderful journeys across lands unknown.
The trials, victories, and failures in Abigail's journey of self discovery, and the people she meets along the way, make for a wonderful journey for the reader as well. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in North American history, tales of self discovery, or accounts of wonderful journeys across lands unknown.
September 26, 2015
Best book I have read in a long time. Google the title for positive blog reviews. Loved the dilemmas confronted by a protagonist who had choice in a new world. Appreciated the richness of the historical context. Historical characters seemed as "alive" as the fictional ones. A compelling read worth revisiting and recommending to friends.
January 25, 2016
The author knows how to keep you hooked. I shared in Abigail's excitement as she learned to shoot, and enjoyed the twists and turns as she set off on her own. It was also nice to learn more about the history of Louis Riel, Gabriel Dumont, and the Métis.
The author's ability to use the protagonist, Abigail, to develop a personal connection between the reader and other characters was the shining light of the book: first, with Abigail's horse, Abe, then with Shep January, and finally, Annie Oakley.
I would definitely recommend this book.
The author's ability to use the protagonist, Abigail, to develop a personal connection between the reader and other characters was the shining light of the book: first, with Abigail's horse, Abe, then with Shep January, and finally, Annie Oakley.
I would definitely recommend this book.
September 13, 2015
A young British woman emigrates with her father to a godforsaken town in Northern Ontario in the 1880s. There, he contracts tuberculosis and dies, ever so slowly, forcing her to take over his school teaching job and try to evade a plodding but relentless suitor. Through chance, she learns she likes to shoot and while practicing her sharpshooting, kills a man and comes into a fortune. Soon, she's headed south across the border to join Cody's Wild West show.
This a godforsaken mess of a novel. While the first two pages were good, it went rapidly downhill from there. The author obviously did a lot of research into both the history of Canada and the US before she began writing and was determined to stuff every fact, relevant or not, into the story at the expense of character, dialog, setting and plot. Rather than place her heroine at the centre of exciting events such as The Riel Rebellion, she has her read and recount endless newspaper stories about them. Dialog is forsaken in favour of tedious, passive retellings of events happening 1000 miles away; characters are undeveloped and boring.
Should this novel fall into your hands, please reach for your trusty sidearm and put it out of its misery.
This a godforsaken mess of a novel. While the first two pages were good, it went rapidly downhill from there. The author obviously did a lot of research into both the history of Canada and the US before she began writing and was determined to stuff every fact, relevant or not, into the story at the expense of character, dialog, setting and plot. Rather than place her heroine at the centre of exciting events such as The Riel Rebellion, she has her read and recount endless newspaper stories about them. Dialog is forsaken in favour of tedious, passive retellings of events happening 1000 miles away; characters are undeveloped and boring.
Should this novel fall into your hands, please reach for your trusty sidearm and put it out of its misery.
January 29, 2016
This is a unique book. The culture-shocked immigrant, Abigail, could be forgiven if she wanted to be rescued after her father died. Instead, she sets off on a quest. Although the preface, in her words, suggests that she seeks the values that lead to principled living, it seemed to me that she yearned for something more out of life than what was available to your average school marm. Everyone she encounters along her epic journey-from the outlaw cowboy, Shep January, to the champion sharpshooter, Annie Oakley, to the Metis military general, Gabriel Dumont, who she followed in the newspapers-contributes to Abigail evolution into someone she had not ever imagined. Inspiring stuff.
July 9, 2017
A fantastic historical narrative that brings together Canadian and American historical figures- Annie Oakley, Gabriel Dumont and Bill Cody- with the fictional heroine we all want to be- Abigail Peacock. Many think that the Riel Rebellion and the Wild West were two separate things, but the author does a fantastic job intertwining the two in such a wonderful narrative you can't help but continue reading.
The novel is set in 1885 where main character Abigail Peacock is resisting what seems to be an inevitable future—a sensible career as a teacher and marriage to a local storeowner. Yet, this all changes when a hunted member of the American Jesse James gang, Shep January turns up with a Pinkerton detective hot on his heels. Unintentionally shooting the detective and committing murder, January offers to teach Abigail to shoot in exchange for taking his guns and stolen cash to a man who can help her sort out the detective’s death.
Abigail rides through the Canadian wilderness to get to the Bill Cody show were she befriends Annie Oakley. Falling in love, learning to shoot and fighting the law, this book crosses from Canada to the United States to England and back. The narrative has enough plot twists to keep you firmly rooted in the story and the characters will come alive in your mind's eye through the beautiful writing of Cinda Gault.
I strongly recommend reading this book as it is something you don't want to miss!
The novel is set in 1885 where main character Abigail Peacock is resisting what seems to be an inevitable future—a sensible career as a teacher and marriage to a local storeowner. Yet, this all changes when a hunted member of the American Jesse James gang, Shep January turns up with a Pinkerton detective hot on his heels. Unintentionally shooting the detective and committing murder, January offers to teach Abigail to shoot in exchange for taking his guns and stolen cash to a man who can help her sort out the detective’s death.
Abigail rides through the Canadian wilderness to get to the Bill Cody show were she befriends Annie Oakley. Falling in love, learning to shoot and fighting the law, this book crosses from Canada to the United States to England and back. The narrative has enough plot twists to keep you firmly rooted in the story and the characters will come alive in your mind's eye through the beautiful writing of Cinda Gault.
I strongly recommend reading this book as it is something you don't want to miss!
September 15, 2016
I read this book a year or so ago when it first came out. The main character, Abigail, and her moral dilemmas and choices have often come to mind since then. The book follows Abigail on her solitary journey - both literal and inner - from the wilderness of northwestern Ontario to the consumer version of the wild west - The Bill Cody Show in New York.
I enjoyed how the author wove the Jesse James Gang, Annie Oakley and the Riel Rebellion, into Abigail’s story. I was inspired to read more about the first two. To be honest, I had hoped for a more robust tackling of Riel and Dumont but I can see how and why Annie Oakley had to be the more prominent of the historical figures for this particular story.
Perhaps I was spoiled after reading The Outlander by Gil Adamson but I did think the trip by horse through the wilds could have presented more opportunities for dramatic events.
The author uses interesting words and turns of phrase. She offers thought provoking statements on justice, personal choice and social norms. And I loved the personality she attributed to Abe, the horse.
Did the ending foretell the taming of Abigail’s rebellious spirit? One hopes not.
I enjoyed how the author wove the Jesse James Gang, Annie Oakley and the Riel Rebellion, into Abigail’s story. I was inspired to read more about the first two. To be honest, I had hoped for a more robust tackling of Riel and Dumont but I can see how and why Annie Oakley had to be the more prominent of the historical figures for this particular story.
Perhaps I was spoiled after reading The Outlander by Gil Adamson but I did think the trip by horse through the wilds could have presented more opportunities for dramatic events.
The author uses interesting words and turns of phrase. She offers thought provoking statements on justice, personal choice and social norms. And I loved the personality she attributed to Abe, the horse.
Did the ending foretell the taming of Abigail’s rebellious spirit? One hopes not.
March 24, 2020
well..... I didn't expect to love this as much as I did. I'm not a big fan of historical fiction and tend to shy away from it, but I'm glad I decided to step out of my comfort zone and give this a try because.. man, it was good. it's a slow-burn of a story, not overly action-packed and rather tightly structured, but the layout works incredibly well for the plot; the little facts of Canadian history sprinkled in at times tend to feel rather like a nonfiction book, but they were interesting enough to me since I know very little about it that I could forgive just how clinical they felt, because it didn't seem out of place; in a way, it reminded me of the structure of Frankenstein. in truth there's nothing groundbreaking about the plot or the characters, it's all very standard, and at times, stereotypical, but Abigail just has such a strong voice and her narration is so beautiful that I can forgive all of that. the writing is just gorgeous. the setting is very vivid, the voices very clear. it was just a really nice experience, and I'm glad to have gone through it.
February 6, 2016
I enjoyed reading this book. It gave a combination of historical information and literary fiction and created a gripping story that kept me wanting to turn the next page. The main character is a strong and likeable woman in a time when it was "a man's world" and her character develops as the story progresses so we can see her courage and determination. Interesting historical characters like Annie Oakley liven the story up and give an element of truth. The story also depicts some interesting aspects of Canadian history in the 1800's. A good read.
February 7, 2016
This Godforsaken Place is an engaging story about independence -- of thought and of action. Our heroine, Abigail, is trapped in Northern Ontario. As the walls begin closing in, her father's death and the appearance of a wounded cowboy present an opportunity to break free. And she takes it. You come to this book for the historical drama. But you keep coming back for the rich, fully realized heroes. You'll love the horse too. Five stars.
March 30, 2019
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's historical relevance was excellent. The main character will hold you captivated. One can't help but be inspired by her grit and determination and enthralled by the circumstances she finds herself in. An excellent illustration of a strong woman in a historical context.
February 7, 2016
I love an adventure story. I especially love an adventure story starring interesting, well-developed characters. This book delivers that. I was drawn into the story by the power of the Abigail's personality. I learned a good bit of Canadian history along the way. Thoroughly enjoyable read.
February 20, 2016
Such an original take on a woman's life in the 19th century! The prose was surprising--I loved the turns of phrase that were unexpected but perfect, particularly as the characters and plat developed. Highly recommend!!
March 18, 2016
A great story that builds to the playing out of the big questions. What does justice mean? What is our responsibility in the face of it mean? What has it meant at different points in history?
I just loved Abigail, it was a real page turner for me.
I just loved Abigail, it was a real page turner for me.
June 10, 2019
"This Godforsaken Place" weaves well-researched historical events into the lives of the protagonist and her fellow characters. The intertwining of the characters' lives with one another provides an even deeper dimension to the entire story, which unfolds sometimes slowly in a way the reader can savour the details and at other times fast-paced, where the reader can get caught up in the action of the events. Fantastic storytelling!
January 26, 2016
Slow to start and end I'd recommend this only for dedicated Canadian history buffs. I enjoyed how the author was able to link the Riel Rebellion with Bill Cody and Susanna Moodie. Almost a who's who of famous Canadian figures. It's inspired me to want to know more about the real Annie Oakley. But I don't know that the narrative itself, without this backdrop, is rich enough to draw a person in.
November 6, 2015
See my review here:
https://whatmeread.wordpress.com/2015...
https://whatmeread.wordpress.com/2015...
May 2, 2020
Initially interesting, then loses its grip over time. It seems borderline political and yet somehow manages to remain boring.
November 24, 2025
What do Pinkertons, a career thief on the run, Gabriel Dumont, and Annie Oakley have to do with a young British schoolteacher left to her own devices in Northern Ontario?
Northern Ontario, between Thunder Bay and the Manitoba border, is rough terrain filled with millions of lakes and bugs as big as the moose that dwell there. Imagine setting off to ride a horse through that territory in 1885 when you have absolutely no idea what on earth you are doing or where on earth you are actually going, other than west and then south into the United States. Perhaps that naivete is what would convince someone that they could do that with no problem and, after all, just stick to the railroad tracks as much as possible.
This book is a good one.
The tongue-in-cheek humour may be lost on those who aren’t paying attention. Still, the characters are well-developed and interesting. Abigail is a stiff-upper-lip British gal wrapped up so much in her belief that anything can be learned, she isn’t daunted by guns, dead men, or the wilderness of Northern Ontario. She performs all of the things that a feral tomboy might be expected to do, but she does it with a practicality and style that is laughable. The echo of her mother’s words about not setting such ‘…a small compass ' seems to reverberate throughout the tale, reminding us that choices in life matter more than we are often aware of at the time we make them. The death of her father prompts her to buy a rifle, and everything shifts demonstrably.
Apparently, the offer of a comfortable lifestyle with a pleasant but ploddingly predictable man that she has no feelings for isn’t in the cards for Abigail. So, with no idea what she is doing, she sets off to right a wrong by finding someone in the United States about whom she has a vague but sketchy idea, and along the way, she finds out what life has to offer.
The interwoven adventures with the historical figures she encounters along her journey reveal lesser-known details about them, making them feel more realistic and interesting than they already were. This humanizes them beyond their perceived hero status and provides more insight into what shaped them for their roles in history. The subtle play on silly social norms and expectations for women is refreshing and revealing. Abigail swats them away like flies. She is neither weak nor ill-equipped to deal with what comes her way, even if it is so far beyond the pale that most men are left scratching their heads when she dodges their expectations.
In the end, this is a story where the women save the man, and he graciously accepts the outcome. This would make a great Canadian movie!
Northern Ontario, between Thunder Bay and the Manitoba border, is rough terrain filled with millions of lakes and bugs as big as the moose that dwell there. Imagine setting off to ride a horse through that territory in 1885 when you have absolutely no idea what on earth you are doing or where on earth you are actually going, other than west and then south into the United States. Perhaps that naivete is what would convince someone that they could do that with no problem and, after all, just stick to the railroad tracks as much as possible.
This book is a good one.
The tongue-in-cheek humour may be lost on those who aren’t paying attention. Still, the characters are well-developed and interesting. Abigail is a stiff-upper-lip British gal wrapped up so much in her belief that anything can be learned, she isn’t daunted by guns, dead men, or the wilderness of Northern Ontario. She performs all of the things that a feral tomboy might be expected to do, but she does it with a practicality and style that is laughable. The echo of her mother’s words about not setting such ‘…a small compass ' seems to reverberate throughout the tale, reminding us that choices in life matter more than we are often aware of at the time we make them. The death of her father prompts her to buy a rifle, and everything shifts demonstrably.
Apparently, the offer of a comfortable lifestyle with a pleasant but ploddingly predictable man that she has no feelings for isn’t in the cards for Abigail. So, with no idea what she is doing, she sets off to right a wrong by finding someone in the United States about whom she has a vague but sketchy idea, and along the way, she finds out what life has to offer.
The interwoven adventures with the historical figures she encounters along her journey reveal lesser-known details about them, making them feel more realistic and interesting than they already were. This humanizes them beyond their perceived hero status and provides more insight into what shaped them for their roles in history. The subtle play on silly social norms and expectations for women is refreshing and revealing. Abigail swats them away like flies. She is neither weak nor ill-equipped to deal with what comes her way, even if it is so far beyond the pale that most men are left scratching their heads when she dodges their expectations.
In the end, this is a story where the women save the man, and he graciously accepts the outcome. This would make a great Canadian movie!
April 27, 2023
Loved this book! The tongue-in-cheek humour may be lost on those that aren't paying attention. Still, the characters are well-developed and interesting. Abigail is a stiff upper lip British gal wrapped up in a wild tomboy that takes on a task decisively, with determination and focus. The echo of her mother's words about '...a small compass' seem to reverberate throughout the tale, reminding us that choices matter. The interwoven adventures with historical figures uncover some of the less-known details about these individuals, making them more realistic regarding their humanity. Giving more insight into what shaped them into their roles in history. The subtle play on silly social norms and expectations of women in society is refreshing and revealing. This is a story where the woman saves the man, and he graciously accepts the outcome. This would make a great movie of the Western, north-western, maybe not even Western, possibly New York City genre!
May 31, 2023
I like this book. People who are interested in the Canadian wilderness will most certainly be interested in reading this book.
Readers can gain knowledge of what it was like to go on an adventure in 1885 as a single female. I enjoyed chapter 2 and 7 the most. The author was able to make it easy to treat an inmate in my mind of the adventure.
This book was well written and is suitable for mature adults. I give this book 5 stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readers can gain knowledge of what it was like to go on an adventure in 1885 as a single female. I enjoyed chapter 2 and 7 the most. The author was able to make it easy to treat an inmate in my mind of the adventure.
This book was well written and is suitable for mature adults. I give this book 5 stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
April 11, 2021
I seriously tried to like this book. Storyline had great potential but ended up being choppy and branching off in too many directions, which made it confusing to read at some points and just...flat. I was hoping for an "Oh!" with this one, but got more of an "Eh."
January 18, 2024
The book was a rather serene read despite the content matter. I felt relaxed while following Abigail's journey. It started off slow then really picked up the speed in the middle. I also enjoyed the history element to the book.
June 18, 2025
An interesting work of historical fiction told from the point of view of an intrepid English girl who finds herself in the Canadian wilderness alone except for a dying outlaw and the body of a detective she has accidentally killed.
April 23, 2022
i enjoyed it
I enjoy reading about women who defy traditional stereotypes. I love Annie Oakley and now want to learn more about her.
I enjoy reading about women who defy traditional stereotypes. I love Annie Oakley and now want to learn more about her.
May 16, 2023
Honestly I was confused. There were just too many characters and historical details of different places.
May 31, 2023
I enjoyed this book until the main character left Canada for the US.
Then it took a turn. Annie Oakley became a major character, and I just lost interest.
Then it took a turn. Annie Oakley became a major character, and I just lost interest.
March 23, 2024
Very different! I enjoyed this book a lot.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews