Petit Jean: A Wilderness Adventure

Petit Jean Mountain, a dramatic promontory in the Arkansas River Valley, owes its name to a legend that has endured for centuries. Marguerite, a young Parisian lady disguised as a cabin boy, accompanies her fiancé on a voyage to the New World to redeem the land grant he has earned in service to the king. Hiding in plain sight as Petit Jean (Little John), she proves herself more than capable of the demands of the journey. Drawing on variants of the legend, William B. Jones sets his fictional narrative in the French Colonial era during the reign of Louis XV. Taking his reader on a journey across the Atlantic, through Louisiana Territory, to a beloved natural landmark, Jones spins a tale of mistaken identity, love, and adventure.