Dawson City Seven

Matt Hartman is a freelance editor and cataloguer, running Hartman Cataloguing, Editing and Indexing Services.

Reddick’s fanciful blend of fact and fiction makes this an
entertaining hockey novel. In the winter of 1904, young George Mason,
son of a Confederate soldier, works his way from his home in Boston to
Dawson City to seek the mother lode. Arriving broke (having been cheated
out of his savings), hungry, and exhausted, Mason trades on his one
remaining commodity—his ability to skate like the wind. He is
recruited to play with the Dawson Silver Seven by the legendary Joe
Boyle, and, in December of 1904, the team makes the grueling journey to
Ottawa to challenge the two-time defending champion, the Ottawa Silver
Seven, for the Stanley Cup.

Mason’s story is told in one lengthy flashback that tells of a life
filled with adventure and danger. The heady blend of historical fact and
invention keeps the story moving at a steady clip. The author has a gift
for dialogue, especially for the rhythms of Canadian speech. Though
Mason would hardly have defined it as such, male bonding is very much at
the heart of his experiences.

Reddick has produced a memorable book, one that includes a valuable
chunk of Canadian hockey history.