Judith Edwards

"On May 14, l804, Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark set off with their Corps of Discovery to explore the newly acquired territory of the Louisiana Purchase and hopefully locate a Northwest Passage.  They were to return two years, four months later, having made numerous detailed maps and kept copious journals relating their many adventures and hardships.  Edwards has chosen the voice of a lesser-known member of the Corps to relate the story of this remarkable journey as she “imagined what Reubin’s voice might have been like.”  The narrative is entertaining and lively as the intelligence, good nature, and fairness exhibited by the captains are conveyed and the highlights of the trip are described.  Comport’s watercolor paintings are effective whether depicting the majesty of the land or the humor of attempting to chase down a prairie dog.”