I would probably give this book 4.9 stars, if I could, because there was one stretch of the book fairly early on that I didn't enjoy — the author introduced a whole bunch of new characters all at once (traders on the Mandan), and it was hard to keep track of them and the main character we had been following up to that point (Boone Caudill) got a bit lost. The speech of the traders was also hard to understand at first too. But I'm so glad that I persevered through that part. This book is, overall, fantastic.

Guthrie does an amazing job of bringing alive the three main characters — Boone, Dick and Jim — and their experiences as "mountain men" in the wild country of Montana in the 1830s and 40s. The love between the men is powerful, but of course understated and unspoken. The love between Boone and Teal Eye is also well described and believable, although I do look forward to getting to know Teal Eye better in later books in this series. (If she remains only Boone's "perfect," beautiful, quiet, dutiful squaw, I will be disappointed.)

As well as love, in this book there is violence, hatred, prejudice, hardship, danger, jealousy, suffering and death. The end of the book is both tragic and beautiful. The last paragraph is one of the best endings I've ever read.

(Of course I can look up the history online, but I would have enjoyed and appreciated a historical note at the end of the book.)