Wacousta: Or, The Prophecy: A Tale of the Canadas, Volume 1

Written by John Richardson

Narrated by Nick Adams

Wacousta by Major John Richardson, is set at Fort Detroit and the surrounding country during Pontiac's rebellion of 1763. The mysterious warrior Wacousta has aligned himself with the First Nations forces who are besieging Detroit and Fort Michilimackinac on the extreme western edge of the British North American frontier. Pontiac is determined to stop expansion into the region, by any means. Wacousta, is a great friend of Pontiac but has his own agenda. - revenge against the British Commander at Detroit, Colonel De Haldimar. The story begins with Wacousta stealing in to the secure fort and whispering something in to De Haldimar's ear. Only later to we discover the nature of his message. Meanwhile, Pontiac designs a clever scheme to break the siege at the well defended fort - a scheme so cunningly designed as to have every chance of success. This book was written in 1832 and incorporates all the attitudes and perspectives of class, race and culture prevalent at the time. Some of the terminology is now considered offensive but was common in the nineteenth century. I have only removed a single word, which I will not say, but have left all other intact. The style of writing is extremely convoluted and complex. Sentences often run on for a page or more and extracting the meaning and flow from the text is a challenge, I hope hearing it helps.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Author's Republic
• Release date: Jul 25, 2020
• ISBN: 9781662130441

John Richardson

John Richardson is based at the Open University, UK.

Reviews for Wacousta

[Dave Radlauer · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is part of an excellent series of historical and historical fiction titles set in the late 18th century American-French-British-Indian wars. Conveys the texture of a distant and foreign place in time.

The narrator is especially compelling. His low-key read has a realistic and intimate tone.

In fact, it’s hard to say why his almost plaintive voice works so well in this context, but I love it.