The Revenant by Michael Punke

Next up in my quest to have an adventure-themed June was The Revenant by Michael Punke.  This historical fiction novel set in the 1820s follows Hugh Glass, a trapper with the Rocky Mountain Fur Company.  While on a scouting mission with a small group of traders, Glass is brutally mauled by a grizzly bear.  His injuries are extensive, and he is not expected to survive.  Facing the pressure of a quickly approaching winter and the dangers of hostile Native American tribes in the area, the leader of Glass' group leaves him behind with two company men, who are entrusted with the task of caring for him until he dies.  When the men decide to rob and abandon Glass instead, he sets out on a grueling mission to get revenge on those who betrayed him and left him for dead. 

As someone with a long memory and a propensity to hang on to anger for irrationally long stretches of time, this novel grabbed me from page one and didn't let go.  The grizzly attack comes early in the novel, and the remainder of the plot is a suspenseful blend of action scenes and survival strategies as Glass' resourcefulness and experience as a frontiersman are repeatedly tested.  His anger at his betrayers burns brightly and motivates him to endure near-impossible situations.  When he can't walk due to his injuries, he literally crawls in the direction he needs to go.  He moves with a single-minded purpose that is almost a little scary, but in a way that the reader understands and respects him for.

Mixed in with Glass' revenge quest are updates and backstories on the other characters in the novel. Jim Bridger and John Fitzgerald, the betrayers, are fleshed out, as well as some of the other frontiersmen in the Rocky Mountain Fur Company. These short interludes help break up the narrative and provide some additional food for thought on the motivations driving the events in the novel.  While Glass is single-minded in his interpretation of his situation, there are a few shades of gray in the mix that are interesting to ponder. 

These sections also help provide a historical context for the story.  The fur trade during this time period has an interesting and complex history, and Punke's writing is very well-researched.  While The Revenant is historical fiction, the setting, events, and many of the characters are real.  The details scattered throughout this novel on history and frontier living give readers a better sense of what life in this era was like.

Aside from a few swears and frontier-style violence, this book doesn't contain anything that would prevent me from recommending it to my students.  This reminded me of the classic young adult survival story, Hatchet (but with more murderous anger).  I think a lot of my male students, who struggle to find something to read, would love this.  

One small gripe I have with this novel is that there are barely any female characters throughout the entire story.  The ones that exist serve only to die immediately, provided some handy characterization for Glass.  While the lack of women is most likely historically accurate to the time period and situations Punke was writing about, it would have been nice to have a couple females with speaking parts in the mix.

Overall, I very much enjoyed The Revenant and I think it was an excellent choice for my theme of adventure novels.  Next, I want to check out the movie, but I'm almost afraid to see some of the injuries described in the book on the screen! I suppose I'll have to drum up some Hugh Glass-style courage and persevere through the blood.