In this historical novel, Susan Dobbie takes us inside the world of Kimo Kanui, a young Kanaka who leaves his native Hawaii in the early 19th century at a time when thousands of his people were leaving to find work abroad. Dobbie portrays Kimo signing on with the Hudson's Bay Company and being sent as a labourer to Fort Langley on the banks of the Fraser River. When Eagles Call offers a rich and colourful account of daily life with the Company on the Pacific Northwest, with its long days of harsh work and its troubled relationships with the Native peoples. For Kimo, the new life proves transformative as he grows to enjoy living "on the edge." He encounters the wild men of the fur brigades and is awed by the great salmon runs along the river. He becomes deeply involved with the natives through his growing love for the half-Kwantlen, half-French Canadian woman, Rose Fanon, and when her life is threatened by marauders, he breaks Company rules to rescue her. As his attachment to Rose and the land grows, he foresees a time when the Company will no longer control the territory, when men can freely trade and lay claim to the land. At the novel's close, war seems imminent as Britain disputes America's claim to the Oregon Territory, and Kimo faces the most difficult challenge of all - to return to the safety and sun of Hawaii, or remain in this dangerously beautiful new land with Rose.

Praise for When Eagles Call

"Meticulously researched detail... I found the story fascinating."
    - W.P. Kinsella, Books in Canada

"Dobbie's story is gripping and the varied and convincing details make for an excellent venture into B.C. history."
    - Malahat Review

"Susan Dobbie has a way with words. There are many beautiful passages that read like poetry."
    - B.C. Historical News