Over the Christmas holidays, I finished another book I couldn’t find time for, a book that has sat in my TBR pile for too long. Because I am from an area rich in history about the fur trade, I could not resist reading this one since I am always on the hunt for non-fiction or fiction titles about this period in Canada. Today, I am reviewing Courier de Bois by Randall Probert, a historical read.
Title: Courier de Bois
Series: N/A
Author: Randall Probert
Genre: Historical Fiction
Length: 358 pages
Release Date: January 1, 2000
Blurb: Emile LaMontagne and his friend, Rejean Baptiste, winter out in Northern Canada to trap. At Lac Temiskaming, they meet an old trapper, Louis Bassett, who tells them the winters are long and cold. “If you survive you’ll lose part of your Soul and someday you’ll have to return to find it. Perhaps in another life.”
Rejean doesn’t survive but Emile does and he becomes the Carcajou Legend. The legend says he cannot be killed. Emile does die eventually and reincarnates two more times before he is led back to Val-d’Or and the cold barrens of Canada. Once there, he discovers who he is, and what he had lost was more than just part of his Soul.
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I love reading about the fur trade, so when I saw this novel, I had to pick it up. It’s sat in my TBR pile for a long time, and I’m glad I finally found a moment to read it.
This book is twenty-four years old, and written during a different publishing time, so there is a switch between an omniscient narrator, various POVs from other characters, and even some head-hopping. But don’t let that dissuade you from reading this deeply-researched novel. I wouldn’t call it a paranormal novel, although the main character experiences different lifetimes. I’d say it’s spiritual, not in a deep religious way, but in a way that touches the heart.
I’d say my favourite part is when the main character is Emile LaMontagne. The wilderness calls to him, even though he is a farmer living outside Montreal during the fur trade era of around 1820. He knows he doesn’t fit in with the “normal” society. Life has something different for him. To discover who he truly is, he must leave his family behind.
I really enjoyed his experiences on board the merchant ship where he’s hired on as a sailor, and when he takes on the role of courier de bois after he returns to Canada. The author has a wonderful way of writing that brings the setting and each scene to life.
Not only did I experience being taken to a place and time from long ago, but I also learned a lot about what it’s like to live off the land during the cold winter months.
The author also includes two more time periods: one set after the Great War and the sixties, when the Vietnam War was heating up. I will admit Emile’s second life did bog down a bit since it’s heavy in mechanical engineering (what Emile was during this time). But I adored Emile’s time in the sixties when he tries to rediscover who he is because he feels he doesn’t belong in each timeline. The interior of Canada is calling to him.
The novel’s start is also interesting since it begins with the universe’s birth, and then focuses in deeper to the planet.
It’s an interesting read, one I recommend. It’s about being more than a courier de bois, but discovering who you truly are and where you belong in the circle of life. If you enjoy historical fiction with a touch of the supernatural, do yourself a favour and get a copy.
Maggie Blackbird 