412 pp. A novel by the author best known for his Leatherstocking Tales, which included The Last of the Mohicans and four other works. The novel is set in Kalamazoo, Michigan's Oak Opening, a wooded prairie that still exists in part today, during the War of 1812. It follows professional honey hunter Benjamin Boden, also known as 'Ben Buzz.' Inspired by Cooper's own experiences investing in Michigan real estate, and notable as one of the first representations of beekeeping in American literature.
