At the pinnacle of his career, Sir James Douglas, fur trader and colonial governor, was knighted by the order of Queen Victoria, and greatly enjoyed the pomp of his position. Considering his modest beginnings as a mixed-race baby in South America, this lofty status was remarkable. The life of Amelia, companion throughout James' long rise, saw even more surprising changes. Amelia was of mixed blood too, being part-Cree, part-Scot. She never left the northern Canadian forests until she married James, but ended up a respected lady of the Empire. Between them, James and Amelia Douglas knew everybody who was anybody in western North America. Their lives saw astonishing contrasts, from crossing North America by canoe to touring Europe by train, from Native uprisings to frantic gold rushes. They met with grief as well as glory, losing seven of their beloved children. This is an engaging story of courage and companionship - though James Douglas's role as a public figure is well known, this book offers the first real glimpses of him as a private man, husband and father.

本作は、北米大陸の未開の森から大英帝国の頂点へと登り詰めたジェームズ・ダグラスとその妻アメリアの、魂の軌跡を描いた至高の評伝です。カヌーで大陸を横断し、やがて列車で欧州を巡るというダイナミックな変遷は、単なる成功譚に留まりません。混血という出自を背負いながら、過酷なフロンティアと洗練された社交界という対極にある二つの世界を繋ぎ合わせた彼らの生き様には、人間の持つ無限の適応力と、運命を切り拓く不屈の意志が宿っています。 著者のジョン・デイヴィッド・アダムズは、歴史の表舞台に立つ公人としての仮面を剥ぎ取り、七人の子を失う悲劇に耐えた一人の父親、そして夫としての私的な横顔に光を当てました。荒野の掟と帝国の秩序が交錯する激動の時代において、沈黙を守り続けたアメリアの存在感は圧倒的であり、二人の絆こそが歴史を動かす真の原動力であったことを再発見させてくれます。孤独な闘争の果てに掴み取った栄光の裏側にある、震えるような人間味に触れずにはいられない傑作です。