Annie Proulx's novel is a monumental epic that vividly, powerfully, and intensely captures three hundred years of North American history, telling the story of the deforestation of seemingly endless forests and the eternal struggle between man and nature. It begins with the arrival of two Frenchmen, René Sel and Charles Duquet, in present-day Canada, where they marvel at the almost impenetrable wilderness. They are lumberjacks trying to make their fortune on the new continent, and we follow the tangled paths of their subsequent generations. This novel is characterized by astounding knowledge, a critical and realistic perspective, humor, and wisdom, while Annie Proulx also vividly and directly portrays the lives of her characters, their love affairs and family intrigues, their greed, their thirst for revenge, and their desire for recognition, as well as their hopes and longings.