White River Crossing

Ian McGuire writes novels set in historical times, not historical novels about regicide, or being Joan of Arc’s best friend. They concern men (and it’s always men) struggling in harsh and challenging environments. This is the third novel I have read by McGuire and the most accomplished. The first was The Abstainer, a beautifully bloody book about a Civil War sniper brought into England to assassinate the mayor of Manchester, who had scheduled a public hanging of captured rebels from the local Fenian Society. This was followed by the hugely impressive The North Water, which follows a whaling ship, with one of the characters on the boat, Drax, one of the most appalling characters ever committed to the page. The book was also turned into a stunning miniseries on the BBC with Colin Farrell and, because it is a British series, Stephen Graham.

McGuire’s latest novel, White River Crossing, begins in Canada in 1766 and follows an expedition to find gold in the great white north, beyond where most of the traders and trappers had ever gone before. With echoes of disparate influences such as Jack London and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, McGuire explores the way the lure of gold drives men mad and the awful decisions they make in its pursuit. McGuire weaves the story with brutal characterisation and careful delineation, bringing to life the three groups involved.

Balancing all of these characters along a tightrope between anachronism and modern-day sensibilities is a dazzling feat and it was an enormous pleasure to read this in one sitting.