Thu, Apr 12 2007 - TOC Book Club (View Original Event Details)
|
Our latest TOC Book Club meeting featured Dominic's terrific choice "Fatal Passage" by Ken McGoogan. Liz was our wonderful hostess; we sipped wine and juice and nibbled on a variety of cheeses and fruits. “Fatal Passage” is a detailed account of Doctor John Rae, specifically his years working in the Canadian north, first as physician, then as arctic explorer for The Hudson's Bay Company, in the mid 1800’s. He was responsible for not only mapping a large portion of the north, but also discovering the grisly facts surrounding Sir John Franklin’s missing expedition to discover the North-West Passage. Rae’s discovery was a controversial one; it led him to be reviled by many influential people in British society. Our enjoyment of this book was unanimous. McGoogan’s writing is excellent and his account of Rae's life is focused and thorough. We all admired Rae; he was a meticulous and hard working man, with astonishing stamina. We noted that his attitude toward the natives of the north were refreshingly non-colonial for that period in history; he admired and respected them tremendously, and fostered good relationships as a result. He was a man of integrity, but also had a naiveté which left him vulnerable to the wrath of Franklin’s widow, a fascinating character in her own right. Our next book was selected by Liz; it’s “Into Thin Air” by Jon Krauker.
Have some photos from this event that you'd like to share in our photo album? Please forward them to Erik Sonstenes at photos@torontooutdoorclub.com. Please note that we prefer to receive the photos in approximately 640x480 or 750x500 pixels - do NOT send original high-res photos. If you have a LOT of photos, please submit up to twenty of your favorites (only) for a day event, or up to forty of your favourites for a multi-day event. Thank you.