Across the Endless River (42 page)

So much has been written about Sacagawea—and so much of it is based on pure conjecture—that it is useful to state a few assumptions, even in a work of fiction. Alternate spellings exist for many Indian words; I have opted for “Sacagawea” as the nearest approximation in English of a name about which there can never be certainty. In like manner, I have preferred Clark's own transliteration of what we assume was Baptiste's tribal name—“Pompy”—to the frequently seen alternative, “Pompey.” The premise of Sacagawea's death in
1812
is disputed by some, but it remains the prevailing view. I have integrated it as fact and used it as an important element in the story of Baptiste's early years.

Finally, while I have invented the gathering at the Esterhazy home in Vienna at which Schubert plays his new composition with Theresa, there are several accounts of his playing at similar gatherings well into the summer of
1828
. One of history's strange secrets is how such a protean talent, already suffering from the illness that would take his life by November, could have remained so active, and prolific, until the end. I had constantly in mind Schubert's extraordinary “Fantasy in F Minor for Four Hands” when I imagined this interval.

Any factual errors or inconsistencies are my responsibility.

Thad Carhart
Paris, September
2009

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CKNOWLEDGMENTS

I am most grateful to Marion Abbott Bundy for her wisdom, insight, and good humor as she helped me shape numberless drafts into the story I wanted to tell. My wife, Simo Neri, offered attentive readings, pithy ideas, and unwavering support throughout the process. The manuscript also benefited mightily from Jane Cavolina's meticulous and exacting edit. My agent, Eric Simonoff, patiently suggested changes that always improved matters, and Charlie Conrad, my editor at Doubleday, helped the book take form with both discernment and wit.

My thanks to those who read drafts and gave comments: Lorna Lyons, Lisiane Droal, Bonnie and Judd Carhart, Nicolas Carhart, Joni Beemsterboer, Elise White, Sophie Lambert, and Judy Hooper. Many others offered support and advice along the way: Robert Wallace, Claire Miquel, Richard Dolan and Marilyn Go, Chris Loether, Jürgen Tredup, Mark Illeman, and Stéphane Jardin.

I deeply appreciate the generous enthusiasm of Monika Firla in Stuttgart concerning Duke Paul's world. My gratitude also goes to Hermann Forkl and the staff of the Linden-Museum. The staff members of many institutions were helpful as I consulted their materials: the Muséum d'Histoire naturelle, the Musée Carnavalet, the Centre Culturel Irlandais (current occupant of the Collège des Irlandais premises), the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, The American Library in Paris, Sterling Memorial Library at Yale, Schloss Ludwigsburg, and the Deutschordensmuseum at Schloss Mergentheim.

I am indebted to Erica Funkhouser for her gripping and lyrical poem “Birdwoman.” It made me see the person buried in the myth of Sacagawea, and gave me courage to imagine my own account.

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BOUT THE
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UTHOR

A dual citizen of the United States and Ireland, Thad Carhart is the author of the international bestseller
The Piano Shop on the Left Bank.
He lives in Paris with his wife, the photographer Simo Neri, and their two children.