Mist O'er the Voyageur

I love everything "Great Lakes" because I was born and raised in Michigan, surrounded by their glory. That's what first drew me to Mist O'er the Voyageur by Naomi Musch. The story starts in Montreal, but the heroine journeys along the path of the French fur traders, the Voyageurs, and winds up at the very western edge of Lake Superior.

The grandeur of the lakes, the hardships of the Colonial era, the danger of battling against nature, it's all in here. There are no fancy balls, pretty sitting rooms, or cobblestoned streets. It's wild and raw and elemental.

But what I also found was a heroine who tries to make the right decisions for her future in an era and area where women had few choices. Brigitte Marchal does her best to find her place in a wilderness that is both familiar and foreign. 

There are times I wanted to shout "NO!" at Brigitte and times I wanted to cheer her on. She's not a superwoman, there are mistakes, poor choices, and some lacks in judgment, but through it all, she's really trying to do the right thing. She's trying to be practical. To learn who she can trust. To survive.

Still, in her heart, she wants more. And that's the romance within the pages. A hard-earned romance that doesn't sweep you off your feet, it comes more subtly than that. It will touch your heart.

Pegg Thomas
Writing History with a Touch of Humor