By J. Edward Chamberlin

Book review by Dwight

I read a lot of books with themes surrounding the 19th and early 20th century exploration and settlement of the Canadian West. This statement will not surprise anyone who has followed any of my previous book reviews. My grandparents managed Scott’s Motel in Kamloops when I was a child, and we visited them frequently. I know that my wonderful childhood experiences in the Thompson/Cariboo, and the stories my grandfather told me of cattle drives and gold rush days, were the seeds for my lifelong interest in and love of this part of our history.

Ted Chamberlain wrote The Banker and the Blackfoot as a tribute to his own grandfater, Jack Cowdry, who opened the first bank in Fort Macleod, Alberta. “Sorreltop Jack” was an influential figure in the region; his friendship with Blackfoot leader and legendary Blood warrior Crop Eared Wolf and the evolution of relationships between the settlers, the Blackfoot, and the Government as the railway and humanity pushed west, form the narrative. Chamberlain is an accomplished writer, and this well researched story is entertaining and inspiring. Give it a read…

— Dwight