THE MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW MBR BOOKWATCH: December 2006 James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Written by a lifelong resident of Red River Valley who gathered tales during a 16-day, 400-mile canoe trip down Red River's length, Treasure River blends history and folklore into an intertwined narrative about the length and shores of the Red River, and the remarkable events that have surrounded it over the course of centuries. From President Jefferson's embarrassment over the 1806 Freeman-Custis Expedition's failure at the hands of the Spanish, to the river's usage as the only highway to transport goods through an untamed wilderness, to tales of birth and death along the river shores, Treasure River reveals the river's powerful effect on all who come near it. A wondrous glimpse into days of yore and the connections between man and nature. Michael Dunford Reviewer
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North Texas e-News
"The Red River story has remained a best kept secret, largely in part due to President Jefferson's embarrassment over the 1806 Freeman-Custis Expedition's failure at the hands of the Spanish; brought about by the Aaron Burr/Wilkinson conspiracy. Every river has a story that can only be told by someone that knows her history and her heart. Red River was always 'Treasure River.' She just needed Wildwood dean to tell the story." Allen Rich, Editor, North Texas e-News.
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Lydia Hawke, author ofFiretrail andPerfect disguise: "Treasure River, by Wildwood Dean, meanders along the Red River of the early 19th century with tales of trappers, whiskey dealers and treasure hunters. Yellow Beard, reared by his Wichita Indian mother, has not given up the dream of finding his treasure-hunting father. Jac Colter seeks to make his fortune, in part as recompense for an act of treachery against his father. Smuggling prohibited whiskey to the trappers proves a risky if profitable proposition. Want to know how to make frontier whiskey? Here you'll find the recipe, right down to the rattlesnake heads. In this saga the author lovingly chronicles the imperfect individuals who sought their destinies wherever the streams could take them." Lydia Hawke, author of Firetrail and Perfect Disguise.