OK, so this book is a mystery to me. My brother recommended this for our Siblings Book Club this year, and it became one of our top selections (not surprisingly, since we all apparently love survival stories—even the fictional ones). But when we went to buy it, none of us could find a copy ANYWHERE. Like literally, we all scoured the online retailers, and my sister was the only person in the group to find a copy, and it cost her more than $30 for a yellowed paperback which had to be shipped from overseas. That’s just abnormal.

Now we’re all passing this book along as we each read and finish it, so I need to get my review in before it leaves my hands forever. People are waiting! [While working on this review, I actually secured a second copy from www.Paperbackswap.com, so that’s pretty awesome! It’s also now available on Amazon.]

The story is a simple one: a trapper in the Western wilderness of (perhaps) the 18th century is attacked by a bear and is left for dead by his crew. Rather than die, however, he hides and slowly recovers, his heart warmed by the passion of revenge, that spark of hope that keeps him alive.

One half of the tale follows the trials of Zach Bass as he recovers, re-learns to walk, and slowly yet methodically makes his way east to the great river to which his crew had been headed. The other half follows the trapping crew itself as they lug a boat on wheels through a mountainous wilderness inhabited by America’s native warriors. There’s also a smattering of insets from the perspective of a Native American boy who interacts with the spirit-world, an oracle of sorts.

Zach’s recovery is obviously painstakingly slow, yet kept me riveted to the book. DeWitt answers in time whatever accusation some medical-minded reader might want to throw at the improbability of this man’s survival, and I think he does very well at it. These portions of the book reminded me a great deal of other favorite survival/fugitive books I’ve read in the past, like Louis L’Amour’s Last of the Breed (1987) and Geoffrey Household’s Rogue Male (1939).

Of course, what it reminds me most of is the 2015 Leonardo DiCaprio film, The Revnant. The stories are so similar that I just had to do some digging. Turns out that Dewitt’s story about Zach Bass is based on the true tale of one Hugh Glass, and The Revnant is an honest retelling of Hugh Glass’s real-life experiences. The similarities and differences now make sense to me, and it allows me to enjoy each in their own right. Incidentally, this book was also made into a film starring Richard Harris in 1971.

I’ve only heard back from a few of the participants in our Siblings Book Club, and my one brother wasn’t a fan of this book. Perhaps he found the boat rolling through the mountains a bit ridiculous. Or perhaps he found the drama of Bass’s recovery unnecessary, since it’s obvious from the beginning that Bass would survive. Most likely though is that he wasn’t a fan of the ending. If I had one complaint, that would by my only one too. But an author has the right to end a book any way he or she pleases, even if it’s not the ending the reader wants (see my comments on The Hunger Games for more on that!), and this is especially true if the story has its roots in a real-life event.

I can’t imagine why this book was never reprinted and why it’s since been all but lost to history. Little of the trash that’s out there deserves second, third, and tenth reprintings (I’m looking at you, Michael Crichton and Robin Cook), so it’s almost inexcusable that books like this get ignored in favor of some of the deplorable books that career-authors write. My opinion is that if you can get your hands on a copy of this little gem, get it and enjoy it. I certainly did.

©2023 E.T.

Read More on Wilderness Exploration:

• The Scalp Hunters by Captain Thomas Mayne Reid (1860)
• Away in the Wilderness by R.M. Ballantyne (1863)
• Love of Life and Other Stories by Jack London (1907)
• Daniel Boone: Wilderness Scout by Stewart Edward White (1921)
• Journal of a Trapper by Osborne Russell (1921)
• Trails Plowed Under by Charles M. Russell (1927)
• The Man in the Wilderness by Jack DeWitt (1971)
• Centennial by James Michener (1974)
• Blood and Treasure by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin (2021)