Spring 1651: a young man from Paris lands in Trois-Rivières on the St. Lawrence River. Within weeks, the course of his life changes dramatically when Iroquois braves capture him. Pierre-Esprit Radisson, then only fifteen years old, begins a new life. Canoeing across rivers and lakes and portaging over mountains, Radissonœs captors take him to distant lands where first they torture him, then adopt him as a brother. In this first tome of the adventures of North Americaœs most famous coureur des bois, readers voyage into the heart of a continentœs history in an era of bravery and heroism. Newcomers from France and indigenous peoples meet, sometimes as friends and allies, sometimes as bitter enemies. Martin Fournier brings to bear his impassioned story-telling skills and historianœs rigour to produce a novel that is a thrilling read from start to finish.