Jeff Curtis is an experienced tracker and wilderness guide. He is in the employ of the U.S. government, and has recently set up camp a short way from Fort Laramie. He anxiously looks forward to being replaced by a new officer; the years have been hard, and he wants to return home.

But with the arrival of his replacement comes a letter from a chap named Joseph Smith, Jr. Smith has heard of Curtis, and wants to hire him for a very difficult assignment. Would Curtis stop by Nauvoo on his way back to the east coast and discuss the proposition?

When Curtis arrives in Nauvoo in 1844, he meets with Smith and his assistants, Brigham Young and Sidney Rigdon. During this meeting, Smith reveals to the group his plan to map a safe path to the Mexican territory of "Yutah," where Joseph believes the Saints will find security from their ongoing problems in Illinois. At first Curtis thinks the idea is a bit mad; Sidney Rigdon is equally appalled at the idea. But Curtis eventually comes around and agrees to lead the contingent of Saints across the continent. The plan is to be kept secret from everyone except those who will make this journey.

Alison Foster is an immigrant from England, who comes to work for the Smiths as tutor for their children. She befriends the family of a bishop, and when he is called to accompany Curtis on his journey, she volunteers to join the trek. She will play a major role in this story.

As expected, the journey is difficult, the obstacles many. And it is only when Curtis returns to Nauvoo to announce the outcome of his assignment that he learns of the death of Joseph, a bit of a letdown for the man whose life became enmeshed with the lives of the Latter-day Saints.

A secondary story emerges as business leaders of the Mexican community, quartered at Santa Fe, New Mexico, are also studying the Yutah territory as a rich source of gold, but also plagued by Indians and a very dangerous place. They learn that the Mormons also have their sights set on this land, and react with dismay and anger. Yet another barrier to their desire for this land.

Many more characters populate this novel, and subplots are everywhere, too numerous to mention here.

Robert L. Foster has written articles for Wild West Magazine. In this novel, he draws on his acquaintance with the West and with its history to mold an easy to read tale, framed within the history of the Mormon church. He keeps the story moving at a pretty good pace.

His biggest problem, in my view, is in his lack of appreciation for the nuances of personality. One cannot help but wonder at his nearly-worshipful view of Joseph Smith (perhaps it's just an expression of respect), his picturing of Brigham Young as the amiable sidekick to the Prophet, and Sidney Rigdon's consistently surly manner. All three men are more complex than this, and this should have been reflected in the story.

Other characters are equally flat, cardboard-like reflections of real people. And, in effect, they become less than believable. Although many of the characters express real emotions, I never really believed that his story depicted actual people. To do so requires a special kind of talent, and Foster may grow into this talent in time. This book would have been a better read had the author focused more on this aspect of the story.

Many readers will enjoy Fort Zion in spite of its rather sterile look at the men and women of Mormonism. After all, the story can be exciting at times, with enough action along the way to keep the reader interested. I realize I'm a real stickler in this area, and perhaps I'm setting the bar too high for popular fiction.

Fort Zion is appropriate reading for late teens through adult readers.

-----------------------------------

Jeff Needle
January 23, 2006