"Of particular importance to the men who had left their families in the spring, it was now possible to reunite with their loved ones."
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The Fur-Lined Crypt by Richard Jensen Trafford Publishing
book review by Mihir Shah
London-resident Timothy Morton, a junior accounting apprentice for twelve years, has a promising future filled with love and financial stability. When he is framed for the murder of Mr. Weir, his boss, his only choice is to leave England or face incarceration. Morton sheds his identity—and his relationships, including his lady love, Fay—and assumes the name of Daniel Adams, an employee of the Hudson's Bay Company. A five-year commitment to scour the frigid North American frontier for valuable fur may have provided Adams respite from a London jail cell; however, the fight to merely survive in York Factory, as he will understand with time, amidst the hellish weather, illness, starvation, and utter isolation is a far greater imprisonment of one's existence.
Endless hours of research give the narrative tremendous credibility. The combination of historical accuracy and an entertaining, dynamic central character provide a sometimes heartbreaking portrait of the ordinary individuals who made an agonizing living as fur traders. The reward for hard work was just as excruciating: months away from civilization, family, and normalcy. Many perished en route to mapping new lands. For Daniel Adams, Hudson's Bay Company, York Factory, and Rupert's Land would become, reluctantly, his home for the majority of his life. Seeing the company ship return to the homeland every season with the knowledge that he could never return was the ultimate torture for Adams.
Daniel Adams and Anthony Henday form a strong friendship and, with the help of native Indian guides Attickasish and Connawappa, lead many of the hunts that would satisfy their group's hunger and provide the precious fur that motivated them to continue exploring new lands. One of the most mesmerizing scenes of the novel detail Adams and Henday's expedition into what is now modern-day Alberta, Canada and the discovery of the Rocky Mountains. Every scene in the novel is crafted with precision, leaving readers with the impression that they are a part of the book and the characters' grueling circumstances. The Fur-Lined Crypt is an excellent combination of an intriguing storyline and historical insight into the real lives and contributions of forgotten individuals who were instrumental in the colonization of North America.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review