Beaver Coats and Guns

The Adventures of Radisson and Des Groseilliers

Near legendary Hudson Bay, undreamed of beaver pelt riches beckon. To reach them, two fur traders must overcome hostile Iroquois, dangerous rivers, corrupt governors, and scheming priests.

The year is 1652, and the French of New France are at war with the Iroquois Confederacy. In a raid on a small St. Lawrence River settlement, enemy raiders capture sixteen-year-old Pierre Radisson and take him to their village near present-day Albany, New York.

There, he is adopted and trained as a warrior. A year later — afraid for his life — Pierre escapes and returns to New France.

During a pause in the war, Pierre takes part in a doomed Jesuit mission to convert the Iroquois. Following another harrowing escape, he sets out on the greatest adventure of his life.

Combating Iroquois along the way, Pierre and his brother-in-law, Médard Chouart, Sieur Des Groseilliers, with their Algonquin partners, embark in canoes for Lake Superior. There they will meet the peace-loving Cree, who hold the key to the beaver pelt treasure they seek.

Beaver Coats and Guns is a novel inspired by the real-life adventures of Radisson and Des Groseilliers. Follow them into the northern wilderness on their incredible quest for beaver pelts. Meet Native North Americans when they were independent and vital to the fur trade. Discover, too, how their endeavors led to the founding of the renowned Hudson's Bay Company.