Synopses & Reviews
When the explorers Lewis and Clark asked the Shoshone woman Sacagawea and her husband, French trapper Toussaint Charbonneau, to act as interpreters for their expedition, the couple brought along their two-month-old son, Jean Baptiste. Over the course of the two-year journey, baby Baptiste won the hearts of the rough men of the corps. Captain Clark called him "my little dancing boy." But the rest of the story of this intriguing young figure has been largely untold--until now.
Sacagawea's Son: The Life of Jean Baptiste Charbonneau tells the action-packed, sometimes poignant story of a boy born to adventure. Baptiste's experiences with the Corps of Discovery were only the beginning. Educated in St. Louis by Captain Clark, he went on to live in a royal palace in Europe and to speak many languages. But, truly his parents' son, he returned to the American West, living out his life as a trapper, scout, and explorer alongside the likes of Kit Carson, James Bridger, and John Fremont. Readers ages ten and up will thrill to this lively and fascinating account of the life of Jean Baptiste Charbonneau--a child chosen by history.
Review
"Recommended as a secondary classroom source."
KLIATT
Review
"Marion Tinling has added a great piece of work to the Lewis and Clark Expedition literature. Anyone who wants to know more about the tiny baby boy Sacajawea carried to the Pacific Ocean and back will find this a fascinating account of the baby's life after the expedition ended in 1806. It is well documented with quotes and historic evidence."
Kenneth Thomasma, author of The Truth about Sacajawea
About the Author
A native of New York state, Marion Tinling took a "temporary" job as a research assistant at the Huntington Library in San Marino, California during the Great Depression, and "by sheer doggedness I managed to stay there nineteen years." Later she held various various editorial jobs and retired in 1986, only to begin another career as a freelance writer. She has authored numerous articles and several books, specializing in women's history. A mother of three and grandmother of seven, she lives in Sacramento, California.