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Patrick Shannon is a direct descendant of his book's protagonist, Louis de St. Denis, which gave special meaning to the writing of "Tame the Wild Land." His three previous books have won five literary awards. Born and raised in Southern California, he currently resides in Montana. He is 82 years old and still writing.
Reviewed by Karen Pirnot for Readers' Favorite
Author Patrick Shannon is a descendant of the main character in Tame the Wild Land. His research is in-depth and revealing of the author's investment in telling a small part of history in a big way. Louis Juchereau de St. Denis was a French Canadian in the early 1700s. He was a witty and innovative man who befriended native Americans, tried to settle the French Louisiana Territory and then began a "trading expedition" into Spanish-held east Texas and Mexico. His disillusionment with the King of France led him to become a private trader and he became skilled in learning native languages and in anticipating the needs of those who ventured West. His travels take him right into the arms of a Spanish lady named Manuela and his life is then geared toward risking what he must while still anticipating the return to her arms.
Tame the Wild Land is more than fictional history. It is the story of a time in American history when the course of the young nation turned on the machinations of the men who dared to explore and those who sought power and wealth. Shannon has developed difficult characters who literally exude traits of survival and ruggedness. But beneath their tough exteriors also lies a layer of gentle understanding of native American culture and an appreciation for what is required for one culture to live and survive with another. I loved the way Shannon developed the very thin line between the outright criminal and the honorable man who possessed a good deal of the rascal in him!
