This book, originally published in the 1950’s, was somewhat of a departure for Louis L’Amour, who was known for his Westerns. You could consider this novel a Western, but it’s also different than most books of that genre. Though it largely takes place in Alaska, our westernmost state, I doubt many people think of Alaska when they think of the Old West! There are no cowboys, as you would expect to find in a Western, but there is a shootout and a few Indians appear in it (though they are inhabitants of Alaska, not the Great Plains).
Jean LaBarge, the main character, would easily fit into a Western novel or film. He is tough, self-reliant, determined, observant and resourceful. An orphan growing up in the woods of the Northeast, he realizes a dream of becoming a fur trader and becomes a wealthy resident of San Francisco. But his ultimate dream is to trade furs in the Alaska. The Russians control that vast territory in this time period (the 1850’s and 1860’s) and forbid outsiders from engaging in that occupation, but that doesn’t stop LaBarge. He succeeds both in trading furs in Alaska and evading Russian patrols until the very end of the book. He is quite a Renaissance man— a fur trader, sailor and successful businessman who knows how to get things done. He even influences events in the halls of Congress and the palace of the Russian czar.
Some of LaBarge’s exploits are so amazing, in fact, that they seem unbelievable. This made it a less-engrossing story, since it was more difficult for me to “suspend disbelief”, so as to better enjoy the fictional story. It’s worth noting that Sitka is not a very “deep” novel— you don’t see a lot of character development. It’s very much a simple “good guy vs. bad guy” adventure story; unlike many present-day novels, we don’t see an evil side to LaBarge, nor do we see any goodness in the villain, a Russian named Zinnovy.
As I weigh all the positives and negatives, L’Amour’s “Alaska Western” earns 3 out of 5 stars in my book. ★★★
- John W.
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