“If they’d had a Doomsday Clock in 1816, its hands would be seconds from midnight,” Robert Lower writes, sending a chill down your spine as your fingers pinch the next page, awaiting to know the fate of the humble settlers as chaos looms over the Red River Colony.

Lower, a Canadian author and filmmaker, walks alongside us through the Red River Settlement’s beginnings in Unsettled, a nonfiction book bursting with rich narrative accounts of exile, misunderstandings, and violence. Through his immersive and fascinating storytelling, Lower envelopes us in the past and lets us imagine the cold winds sweeping through the land and the hunger pangs in the stomachs of the Kildonan Highlanders as they journey across the North Atlantic in hopes of a brighter future.

A promise is a promise, right? But what happens when the shining future you’d hoped for crumbles at your feet? This is the unfortunate reality of two hundred farmers sent by the Earl of Selkirk to travel from Scotland to North America during the Highland Clearances. These people had no clue what kind of storm they’d be walking into as they stepped off their lush farmland and packed themselves into ships headed for the York Factory. There would be a typhus outbreak on one of their boats, driving a wedge between their travel plans and forcing them to make port at the Churchill post near Hudson’s Bay. But it only gets worse. From this point on, the Kildonan Highlanders would traverse the wilderness, facing both snow blindness and muscle cramps, where some were left behind in the cold, snowy landscapes. And yet, despite the insufficient rations, the extreme winters, and being forced to leave many camps behind, these individuals never lost their eagerness, pushing forward towards the settlement. While you’ll be happy to know that these willing settlers have finally arrived at Red River and can cultivate their farmland, this victory will come at a price.

While the settlers have been travelling along rivers and seemingly endless trails, there have been tensions building in the background between the colonists and the North West Company. The latter has a growing rivalry with the Hudson’s Bay Company, an ally of Lord Selkirk, and both are looking to make a large profit from the fur trade. This conflict, however, escalated significantly when the governor of Red River, Miles Macdonell, initiated the Pemmican Proclamation, which only restricted the NWC’s success even more. These disputes took a startling shape over the next few years until its silhouette couldn’t be ignored any longer. Soon enough, a group led by Cuthbert Grant made their way towards the colony to meet with Robert Semple, the new governor, who had already done his share of stirring the pot. Both sides are armed—some not wanting to fight, and others trigger-happy. And, as one could imagine, when emotions are running high while weapons are in reach, death and destruction come closer into view. It’s not long after two people from the opposing parties exchange words before the crackle of gunfire echoes through the air, resulting in the Battle of Seven Oaks and ending in many settler fatalities.

Without a doubt, Unsettled was a wonderful read as Lower handles such difficult subjects with grace and compassion. The author’s respect for these folks was amplified because his own great-great-grandfather, Samuel Lamont, was one of the Scottish settlers who came to Red River. This personal tie between Lower and the history within Unsettled added so much dimension to my reading experience as it allowed me to understand this story from the perspective of someone who’s deeply connected with it. And like Lower, many can relate to wanting to learn more about their family’s history and discover where their roots lie. While reading, I couldn’t help but wonder what life was like for my ancestors and how they may have overcome adversities during their lifetimes. This curiosity, I feel, strengthens the impact of nonfiction books like Unsettled since the author can share the excitement of these discoveries with the reader rather than simply restating his research with no passion.

Whether it’s the howling of the north winds or the thriving crops shooting up towards the summer sun, Lower immerses you in his powerful descriptions of life during those years. His vivid imagery is enough to place you within the shoes of the settlers and it invites us to truly grasp the struggle against the elements that these survivors face. The author breathes life into these historical events rather than simply reciting them through factual accounts. I really enjoyed reading Lower’s descriptions of the landscapes traversed in Unsettled, as they allowed me to appreciate the effort that went into this long journey and the amount of resilience required to endure the harsh environments.

Learning about history can often feel very disconnected from our own modern lives. I’m sure for many of us, it’s difficult to grasp what life was like one hundred years ago, let alone another century before that. With that said, I was pleasantly surprised that Lower was able to lessen this divide in Unsettled. By showing us real documentations from the Red River colonists and even Lord Selkirk himself, Lower closes this gap since we can witness these individuals not for their accomplishments, but for their genuine personalities and emotions. I particularly loved reading the journal entries by Colin Robertson, as these moments ranged from daily updates for the colony to late-night rants detailing his stress surrounding Mr. Semple’s attitude. For me, it was very interesting to see how Robertson expressed his rage towards this individual, rewriting similar phrases repeatedly in his journal to further highlight his dismay. Robertson took charge of the Red River Colony, desperately attempting to help the settlers prosper, and finally put an end to their struggles. We’re reminded of this historical figure’s humanity and the drive to succeed in his goal as we read his journal sign-off “When we get with wolves, we must howl.” Lower often reflects on Robertson’s powerful writing, analysing both his word choices and opinions to create a better picture of his inner turmoil and stress revolving around the colony’s weakened state. By showing us these vulnerable sides of Robertson, Lower allows us to empathise with him, understanding the weight of his situation through our own experience of losing our grip.

Interestingly enough, Lower also provides us with an understanding of how an Indigenous band interacted with the settlers through these journal entries as well. One of the main figures that the author examined in Lieutenant Edward Chapell’s writings was Peguis, chief of the Saulteaux Nation, who helped the settlers acquire food and shelter during their times of struggle. Lower describes that Chief Peguis and his band even assisted the colonists after the Battle of Seven Oaks by clearing bodies from the horrific battleground and burying them. By adding this positive representation of Chief Peguis and his band, Lower expands on the Red River’s history with another group’s perspective, showcasing the efforts made by this Indigenous group to live harmoniously amongst the settlers. While reading, I really appreciated that Lower included this additional information on Peguis and his band, since it allowed me to understand how those outside of the colony were affected by the changes these newcomers brought with them. In many history books, I feel that we, as readers, aren’t exposed to the process of adapting and overcoming that groups native to colonised lands had to undergo as settlers came into their territory. Lower represents Peguis and his band in an accurate and respectful way, further enhancing my reading experience and showing me a side of Canadian history that is often overlooked and disregarded.

Don’t worry cartography buffs, there’s something in this for you, too! In Unsettled, Lower even includes maps that allow readers to have a more enriched understanding of how both these lands and waters were traversed by the Indigenous peoples, fur traders, and colonists of the time. Lower leaves us with detailed canoe routes used by the NWC, adding graphics to accompany his accounts of trading territories and how these areas intersect with the land of the Red River Settlement. I found these visuals incredibly helpful while reading Lower’s book, since they helped me envision the journey of the settlers and let me appreciate how different this area looks in the present-day. What used to be grassy, open terrain is now tall buildings that line the horizon and highways ripping through the soil. The maps in Unsettled help us remember the way this region was before industrialization to better understand the settler’s travels and prompt us to consider how much Canada has changed over the course of two centuries.

As many of us know, history is not black-and-white. It’s not something that can be divided into perfect sections or be explained by only sharing one side of the coin. It’s complex, caught in a tangle of varying emotions, justifications, and viewpoints, which makes matters difficult to navigate. Throughout Unsettled, Lower introduces us to a multitude of real people who endured the events of Red River and works to understand them through analysing documentation mentioning their personal stories. By doing so, the author humanises these individuals and refuses to see these people as just names on a page, which is a sentiment that I feel is often lost in many history books nowadays. The events that Lower retells in Unsettled still cast a dark shadow today and continue to impact the living descendants of those who were affected by these unfortunate and violent happenings. And even though history can leave such a haunting memory, it’s undoubtedly important, as Lower reminds us, to continue passing on these stories while also representing the real people who endured them with both compassion and understanding.