The silent places

"The Silent Places" by Stewart Edward White is a historical fiction novel set in the early 1900s, centering around the lives of woodsmen and traders in the Canadian wilderness employed by the Hudson's Bay Company. The novel explores themes of survival, cultural exchange, and the harsh realities of nature through the story of Sam Bolton and Dick Herron; two men tasked with finding a missing Ojibway Indian named Jingoss, who is in debt. As they prepare for their journey, the camaraderie of the tight-knit community by the riverbanks is contrasted with the vast and challenging landscape they must soon face, particularly as Dick's growing feelings for an Ojibway girl, May-may-gwán, create tension between their mission and personal desires, setting the stage for a journey filled with both natural and personal obstacles.