Title: Grand Canyon
Author: Gary McCarthy
Publisher: Pinnacle Books
Year Published: 1996
Number of Pages: 477
Binding: Mass market paperback
ISBN: 0-780-0272-7
Price: $5.99

Reviewed by Jeffrey Needle

This is more of a book notice than a review. This book is likely not available anymore from the publisher, although used copies may be floating around.

I discovered it at our local Deseret Industries store. Looking for some casual reading, I picked this up from the shelf and was surprised to learn that one of the characters was one of the child survivors of the Mountain Meadows Massacre. In her quest for vengeance, she hires on with one of John D. Lee’s wives with the intention of infiltrating and then turning Lee over to the authorities.

The main story deals with efforts by scholars and adventurers to map the area now known as the Grand Canyon. The protagonist is a young man who escapes attacks by unfriendly Indians but is rescued by a kindly tribe who take him in and allow him to heal. After marrying the daughter of the only other non-Indian in the village, he sets out to find his mentor, a professor with whom he has lost touch.

Along the way, the reader learns quite a bit about the geography and history of this fascinating area. The author is known to be a pretty good student of American history, with a flair for spinning a great deal of detail around his fictional story. And McCarthy’s glimpses of John D. Lee at home were, to me, fascinating. His story put skin on this historical character, believable and, to be honest, quite sympathetic.

The book is filled with colorful and often eccentric characters. Truth be told, I enjoyed this little side journey into the world of secular fiction. That it has some Mormon content, and most of it accurate and kind, is a real plus.

If you stumble on this book, pick it up. A good read awaits you.