A Dark and Promised Land - by Nathaniel Poole (Paperback)

About the Book

When Orkneywoman Rose is shipwrecked on the shores of Rupert's Land, she falls in love with a half-caste man, Alexander. When she shuns him after the death of her father, he leaves. Unable to bear their separation, and with the young country on the brink of war, Alexander returns to reclaim her love.

Book Synopsis

A story of adventure and romance set in the wilds of Rupert's Land in the early 19th century.

When Orkneywoman Rose is shipwrecked on the shores of Rupert's Land, she quickly falls in love with Alexander, a Half-caste man who is guiding her people into the dark heart of the continent. But after the death of her father at the hands of another Native, Rose turns against Alexander and all his kind.



Heartbroken, Alexander returns to his wild life of running buffalo on the prairie. Although parted from Rose by endless miles and hard fate, his heart remains bound to hers, and on the eve of war he is compelled to reclaim her love, setting himself against his people amid a conflict that will help form a nation.

Review Quotes

The author masterfully describes life in early 19th-century Western Canada. He describes the landscape beautifully, evoking period and place...few books are written about the Canadian experience during the early 19th-century, and this author has done an excellent job in presenting this story to the reading public.-- "Historical Novel Society.org"

About the Author

Nathaniel Poole is an avid amateur historian, writer, and adventurer. He has published numerous articles in magazines such as Sail, Sailing, Pacific Yachting, and Yachting International. He lives in Victoria, British Columbia.