Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
In the vast Western territory defined by the Columbia River, historian and naturalist Jack Nisbet tracks the stories and meaning of remains such as a trilobite fossil that points to a tropical prehistoric ecology; the indelible stain of the smallpox pandemic that overcame local native peoples; the remains of Jaco Finlay, a trapper and scout from 200 years ago. Nisbet's poetic style creates an inspired chronicle of this region.
Synopsis
How does one learn about a place's history? Historian and naturalist Jack Nisbet looks to the relics of a region to connect the present to the distant past. In the vast western territory defined by the Columbia River, Nisbet tracks the stories and meaning of relics such as a trilobite fossil, the nearly extinct California condor, and more. Together, these stories comprise an original, hybrid history that connects nature with human endeavor, geography with the passage of time.
About the Author
Jack Nisbet is also the author of Sources of the River, Purple Flat Top, and The Mapmakers Eye. He lives in Spokane, WA.
Jack Nisbet on PowellsBooks.Blog
"A London fog is as nothing compared with the dense cloud of smoke that envelopes us and makes existence almost unendurable,” wrote an August correspondent from the Idaho Panhandle. “No rain is due in this latitude for six weeks or more, so we have to suffer a while longer with red eyes, depressed spirits, etc.”...
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