William Durbin, autor y profesor, reside al borde de la Reserva Natural Boundary Waters en Minnesota. Su prolífica obra para lectores jóvenes ha sido galardonada con prestigiosos premios, como el Great Lakes Book Award y el Minnesota Book Award. Más allá de sus contribuciones a la literatura infantil, Durbin también ha explorado la poesía y los ensayos, demostrando un amplio dominio de la expresión literaria. Su influencia se extiende a la investigación educativa, habiendo supervisado proyectos de escritura para instituciones notables.
In 1905, fifteen-year-old Otto describes in his journal how he travels from Finland to America, joining his father in a dreary iron mining community in Minnesota and becoming involved in a union fight for better working conditions.
Set in 1800, the story follows thirteen-year-old Pierre LaPage, who aspires to be a voyageur despite his youth and inexperience. After his father's accident forces him to join the North West Company, Pierre faces the harsh realities of life on the fur trade route. Battling treacherous rapids, physical exhaustion, and the ridicule of older crew members, he embarks on a grueling 1,000-mile journey from Montreal to Grand Portage, testing his resilience and determination to support his family through the winter.