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J.R.R. Tolkien once wrote that it
was a “dangerous business to go out your front door,” because there was
“no telling where you’d be swept off to.” In a nutshell, that describes
Yeremey, the protagonist, in Vasiliev’s historical novelization of the
Canadian frontier at the turn of the 19th century.
Yeremey Vasiliev is born into a Russian mining family. Despite his
family’s insistence to follow in his father’s footsteps, he longs for
something different. Determined that Yeremey will eventually change his
mind, his family sends him abroad to study mining at a college in
England. Once there, however, Yeremey hears stories about the New World
and longs to explore it. A simple conversation about Nova Scotia and
off he sails to see the wonders it holds for him. With nothing but the
shoes and clothes on his back, he learns to earn his keep with both the
Canadians and Native American First Nations as he wanders from one
adventure to another. He becomes a jack-of-all-trades, trying his hand
at being a trapper, tamer of horses, and kin to the Ojibwa tribe along
the way.
The author, a Russian immigrant himself, wonderfully pays homage to the
history and beauty of Canada and her people. Regardless of the reader’s
knowledge of the country’s history or cultures, it is an easy read that
is both enlightening and fascinating. Vasiliev skillfully weaves in
information pertaining to 19th century life without bogging down the
story. Vasiliev’s words are descriptive and poetic as he paints a
person that we can all relate to at one point in our lives—one who
takes chances and isn’t tied down to the expectations of others. The Saga of Carus is a must-read for those who are avid readers of historical fiction, or those who wish to understand frontier life.
RECOMMENDED by The US Review