Phil Jenkins, a musician, freelance writer, and author of An Acre of Time, has a passion for the St. Lawrence. In his latest book, River Song, he indulges that passion to tell the mighty river’s story.
The book’s subtitle is somewhat misleading, as only about a third of the book follows Jenkins’ actual journeys on the river. The rest is given over to an anecdotal history of the St. Lawrence, bringing together a rich patchwork of characters and events. There are vivid descriptions throughout, particularly of the typhoid epidemic on Grosse Ile in 1847, and a strong sense of the river’s importance in the opening and development of Canada.
Jenkins’ personal stories of the St. Lawrence, though a bit disjointed, provide an interesting counterpoint to the earlier historical material. Jenkins recounts his visits to some of the book’s historical sites, including one 10-day trip he made in a modern tall ship. In addition, the reader meets the Duhamel family, who play the national anthem of every ship that passes their clifftop home. One also learns about ice-fishing for Tommy cod.
On the down side, the light tone of River Song occasionally descends into weak punning – a rope braider reaches the end of his rope – and clichéd language. Overall, though, the text is as easily navigable as the water around the Thousand Islands was to the skiffs that once proliferated there.
River Song: Sailing the History of the St. Lawrence