Reader's Fave

I recently interviewed Cathlamet resident Shannon Britt for our 57th installment of Reader's Fave, a casual feature where someone shares their favorite book. Shannon discussed "SeaMan: The Dog Who Explored the West with Lewis & Clark" by Gail Langer Karwoski.

"I read a lot of Lewis & Clark history this past year," Shannon said. "I read their journals, and I wanted to leave the fiction for last to make sure I had the facts first. I had my eye on this book since last spring."

"This book is from SeaMan's perspective," she continued. "It shows the humans with a more tender side. The author writes so you feel the dog's perspective, and the people stand out more. SeaMan is a real comfort to the group, and they all bond with him. He was familiar to them from past home life. Lewis especially bonded with SeaMan."

Shannon noted an interesting historical detail. "We didn't know SeaMan's real name until about 40 years ago. We actually thought it was another name. SeaMan, a Newfoundland dog, was bought by Lewis for the trip west. We're not certain why he bought him, other than that he was a great retriever."

She added, "The book shows SeaMan as being well fed by York, the [enslaved man] who was the cook on the journey. SeaMan was very well-behaved. It also shows George Shannon, one of the expedition members, forming a close bond with the dog."

"The near-last journal entry by Lewis, on their way back, mentions SeaMan being attacked by mosquitoes. Nothing is written about the dog after that. Later, after the trip, and after Lewis died in 1809, a footnote in 'Undaunted Courage' mentions that SeaMan died on Lewis's grave."

Shannon said she enjoyed the book's personal touch. "I liked this book a lot. You feel like you're getting to know the characters. I've always been drawn to Sacajawea and her baby, and the author describes how the men may have interacted with her and with her baby, whom they called Pompey."

"The book is a really easy read," she added. "It seems written to a large audience. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in Lewis & Clark. It's a good introduction and sums up the key points of the trip."

"'Undaunted Courage' gives you the full story," she said. "You learn about the trip, Lewis's relationship with Thomas Jefferson, and what happened to everyone afterward. The book starts slowly, but it becomes interesting, and I wanted to finish it."

Shannon has also explored the journals themselves. "I listened to the Lewis & Clark journals on audio. It was about 10 hours. I'd like to read more about Sacajawea. I had a great fourth-grade teacher who taught us about Lewis & Clark, and I still have the project I did from that class. It's in the garage."

"Recently, I started listening to 'The Lost Journals of Sacajawea' by Debra Magpie Earling. It's a fiction book," she said.

Shannon also shared her preferred reading method. "I like audio. I can't get an uninterrupted moment to read a book. But with audio, I can multitask. It's just as good as reading. I always have something on audio. I can finish a five-hour book in a day, and I do one book at a time... I first started with Audible, and that's how I got hooked. Now I use Libby. It's free."

When asked about early influences, Shannon said, "I didn't have a big personal influence. My grandma gave me the 'Anne of Green Gables' series. My dad always read the paper with his coffee to stay aware of what was going on."

"I didn't have anyone pushing me in school. Looking back, I wish high schools had access to [audiobooks.] Nowadays, there's better acceptance of audio, and more exposure to what people like and need," she added.

May you, wonderful Wahkiakum readers, find a book you wish to read and perhaps listen to it on an audio platform that fits your lifestyle.