I Should Be Extremely Happy in Your Company

Four distinct voices emerge from the American wilderness in this literary reimagining of the legendary Lewis and Clark expedition. Brian Hall constructs an intimate portrait that reaches far beyond the familiar heroic narrative, exploring the complex inner lives of Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, Sacagawea, and French trader Toussaint Charbonneau. Rather than focusing solely on the famous journey to the Pacific, the novel spans crucial moments throughout their entire lives, revealing how the expedition both shaped and reflected their deepest struggles with identity, belonging, and the vast cultural divide between white settlers and Native Americans.

The five-narrator ensemble delivers a masterful audio performance that brings Hall's intricate character study to vivid life. Robertson Dean, Kevin R. Free, Graham Halstead, George Newbern, and Tanis Parenteau each inhabit their roles with distinctive vocal characterizations that capture the unique perspectives and psychological depths of these historical figures. Their varied deliveries enhance the novel's shifting viewpoints, creating an immersive experience that allows listeners to feel the weight of the wilderness, the tension between cultures, and the profound loneliness that haunted even this most celebrated of American adventures.