What happened... afterwards. ( )

Why I read it: I've always had a bit of fondness for Lewis and Clark, being two people in history who accomplished something by working equally and happily together rather than, say, killing or one-upping someone. And, ok, honestly, their close friendship seemed like slash fodder. Interesting it's about the end of Lewis' life rather than the surely more popular to write about journey west.

Pros: Nicely character-focused adventure story. A lot of effort put into showing the dedication and respect Lewis and Clark have for one another. At times humorous. Was very engaged by the first part of this novel when Lewis was still in town, interacting with Clark and various antagonists, watching as the author built the image of him as a great man being dragged down by his flaws and circumstances, and observing what other characters thought of him.

Cons: Despite biggest draw for me (and I got the impression one of the biggest interests/focuses of the writer) being Lewis and Clark's relationship, a lot of the portrayal of that is in them merely thinking about one another, since the two are apart for most of the novel. Though there's a political plot at work, story eventually boils down through the entire middle to little but Lewis being sick but journeying onward, Clark chasing him, the occasional attack or complication. I think perhaps we were supposed to be engaged by the character interaction/changing relationships , but this didn't entirely work as most characters were somewhat developed, but not to the extent they could carry the novel so entirely with little happening on the plot front. Villains were cartoonishly evil.

Conclusion: I can't say if the characters came off as more complex in the beginning when I enjoyed it, or if their simplicity just didn't hamper the novel so badly when things seemed to be happening. The rest (mostly traveling through the woods) was readable. Overall the book was a bit of a let-down, but it leaves me curious if the author may have improved their character development technique in their next Lewis and Clark novel (set earlier of course), or if they chose a time in their history that could allow for a more eventful plot and thus better rounded novel. ( )

I loved this book, it was very easy to imagine the story Mr Hunter set. It was insightful to the time period. ( )

Three years after the famous Expedition of Lewis and Clark, Meriwether Lewis lost his life under mysterious circumstances in the middle of the Tennessee wilderness. Suicide, murder, or accident – the mystery will probably never be solved. However, in To the Ends of the Earth, author Frances Hunter has pulled together the known facts of his last days into a cohesive and powerful novel of what might-have-been.

This is a novel of powerful characters – men who are legends in American history – and yet Hunter has drawn them as precisely and honestly as if they were men well known to us. We first meet Meriwether Lewis as a broken and tormented has-been with a ruined reputation, but soon the author reveals glimpses of the man he once was – not just through flashbacks of his famous expedition, but also through striking moments of valor and intellect in a man tormented by his own inadequacies. Stalwart William Clark is almost larger than life, but unmistakably human in his faults – particularly in the way he overlooks his friend’s shortcomings and in the way he treats his slaves. York is present, too, and although many modern history texts tend to sanitize reality by describing York as a valued member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Frances Hunter reminds us that even after that valiant accomplishment, he was still Clark’s slave. Although many other historical characters round out this novel, including the villainous General James Wilkinson, the three central figures of Lewis, Clark, and York loom large in the overall narrative.

I could not help but compare Meriwether Lewis to Elisha Kent Kane, the explorer in my own novel. Both men were happier and healthier living under the dire circumstances of mortal danger than they were when confined in civilization. Both men enjoyed fame for their daring exploits, but died young and with little dignity -- both before the age of 40 -- Kane, from a stroke and Lewis, possibly by his own hand. Accordingly, I felt quite a bit of empathy for Meriwether Lewis, a heroic soul burned out too soon.

To the Ends of the Earth is a powerful, stunning, historical novel, full of larger-than-life characters pried from the pages of history and set in a new and wild America far removed from our modern world. Don't miss this one! ( )

The story of Lewis and Clark after their famous expedition. It's quite an adventure albeit not as great as their trip to the Pacific. I enjoyed the story and the ending the author chooses is as likely as any probably. ( )