内容简介：
On the island of Haida, off the coast of Vancouver, British Columbia, lived an extraordinarily creative and highly developed tribe of people devoted to creating art. The abundance of vegetation and the huge cedar trees all around them led them to create works of art that are prized by collectors even today. Their homes were vast long houses that matched or surpassed the buildings of Colonial America. Because nature provided such abundance, their energy was spent on creating wood carvings, totems, sculpture and painting. It is said that Picasso drew his inspiration for Cubism from the drawings and totems created by these Northwest Pacific Islanders. It was the invasion of Europeans into the Pacific Northwest that spelled the end of the Haidan culture. In the wake of the disease, alcoholism, and new religion brought by the Europeans, their numbers were reduced from 10,000 to less than 800. Johnny Eden, son of a ruling chief, is kidnaped by prospectors and brought to the Yukon for servitude in the quest for gold. Johnnyas memories of the greatness of his culture leads him to creation and art. The rough-hewn bandits in control of Dawson view his artistic leanings with disdain. The close-knit community of his youth forces him to confront the banditry, poverty, squalor, and evil that hangs over Dawson. He organizes the citizens to confront the killers holding sway with the power of the martial arts. He seeks to convert them to a peaceful way of life. With his circle of friends and the use of various martial arts, lives are redeemed and order, art, and reconstruction replace violence and destruction. This novel contains fighting scenes, dogsled racing, love, violence, and art. It is bothexciting and instructive.