The Last Canyon — John Vernon

A historical novel about John Wesley Powell's nineteenth-century expedition through the Grand Canyon: “A riveting adventure tale” (The Seattle Times).
 
In 1869, John Wesley Powell set out on a voyage of exploration through the Grand Canyon, the last great expedition of discovery in US history. In this vivid novel, John Vernon intertwines two stories -- that of Powell and his crew, and that of a band of Paiute Indians, known as the Shivwits, who lived on the north rim of the canyon. As the novel moves inexorably toward a violent encounter between the two groups, Vernon deftly leads us into perilous geographical and emotional territory in a story of triumph, hardship, bravery, and loss.
 
“Richly imagined.” -- Los Angeles Times
 
“No author has tried to put the reader as squarely in Powell's waterlogged shoes . . . Packs a wallop.” -- Salt Lake Tribune