William Durbin (1) (1951–)

My youngest is reading this for her school, so I figured why not? It’s not too long and I’m descended from voyageurs myself. I should find out what my legacy is.

The Broken Blade is meant to be a historical fiction/educational book in the same sense of Across Five Aprils. Our lead, Pierre, feels guilty for an accident that made his father resign from the yearly “march of the voyageurs” that brought them their livelihood. So he conscripts himself into their ranks and learns what its show more like paddling from Montreal to west Lake Superior. The heartache, the danger, the camaraderie, the enemies and friends made.

It’s a very clear Coming of Age story–the transition of the boy to a man. As you imagine, the female parts are extremely underwritten. I feel like some of the material was sanitized for younger readers. There is drinking and fighting, but no swearing or sex talk. I probably won’t read the following books in the series, but I’m glad I read this as it gave me a better understanding of the French-Canadian explorers and pioneers. show less

A pretty straight forward account of daily occurrances in the life of a voyageur, departing from Ontario & paddling to Grand Portage to bring supplies to the trading post and back with the traded furs. Expectations are for each crew member to carry their own weight without complaint. Blistered palms and aching muscles as the beginning of the trip gradually toughen up. Food supplies are pretty boring unless someone has time to hunt or fish en route. Teasing, fighting, and friendship between show more the crew members are all explored. A crew member is lost when his boat swamps in rough water. Pierre is proud to bring his earnings back home to his family, and is now willing to admit there is some value in getting an education so he can work in the business end of the fur trade rather than the dangerous & demanding transport.
While a 13-year old would be considered to young nowadays for the physical demands put on him, we must take the author's word that this is an accepted practice. show less

In 1931 Ybor City, FL, 13-year-old Bella wants to be a respected lector like her grandfather. He is a lector at the cigar factory, reading aloud to the workers from the newspapers, literary classics and union news. Bella knows she must be educated to be a lector and she hopes to attend high school with her best friend Mary. But with her father dead and her mother supporting the family with laundry jobs, Bella ends up working in the cigar factory stripping room. Change is afoot; the union and show more the workers are agitating for better pay and working conditions. Bella’s Tia Lola tries to get her involved. At the same time, the radio is making inroads in the community and factories, threatening grandfather’s livelihood. Bella comes to make her peace with the changes: the union is working for the good of the workers and she gets grandfather a job at the radio station presenting its Spanish story hour. show less

In 1800, thirteen-year-old Pierre LaPage dreams of becoming a voyageur and paddling a fur trade canoe. But this is something that older, more experienced men do. However, when Pierre's father has an accident, Pierre signs on with the North West Company so that his family will have money to survive the winter. Life is hard for Pierre as the youngest member of his brigade. Treacherous rapids, blistered hands, aching muscles, and the cruel teasing of the older men make him miserable. But there show more is no turning back for Pierre, and he must endure the 1,000 mile journey from Montreal to Grand Portage. show less