Out From The Woods

Background: There is no more well known or revered Canadian landscape painter than Tom Thomson. And yet the circumstances of Thomson’s death and burial in 1917 make any fictional murder mystery pale in comparison. Many books have been written about the mysterious death of Thomson in Ontario’s Algonquin Park, but no one has been able to conclusively answer four questions: How did Thomson die? Where is he buried? Was Thomson romantically linked with cottager Winnie Trainer and was she pregnant with his child when he died? And who was the Native American whose skeletal remains were found in Thomson’s original grave in 1956?

Synopsis: In 1956, four men dig up the artist Tom Thomson’s original grave in Algonquin Park only to discover the bones of an anonymous Native American. This mystery unravels in the 1960’s as we follow the teenage years of Alex Cutler, a Toronto boy who attends summer camp and comes under the tutelage of Thomas Tucker – canoe guide, artist and keeper of Tom Thomson secrets.

While on a canoe trip guided by Thomas, 15 year old Alex is challenged to an arm wrestle by a girl from Camp Wapomeo, a beautiful wild child, Linda Dunning. At stake - which camp will win the rights to the campsite they both claim. This battle will set the stage for an on again-off again combustive relationship between the laid back Alex and the manic-depressive Linda.

As we progress through the 1960’s, many of the external factors that shaped the generation who grew up in that decade make their mark on Alex and Thomas. Thomas is sent to Vietnam, Linda succumbs to the allure of the drug culture while Alex grapples with the frustration of being involved with a girl who has attempted suicide and has mood swings she cannot control and he does not understand.

The story moves in and out of the final summers of Tom Thomson’s life on Canoe Lake in Algonquin Park. We are introduced to John Tucker, a Mohawk Indian who is Thomson’s close friend and Thomas Tucker’s grandfather.

Out From The Woods attempts to answer many of the questions surrounding Tom Thomson’s death while providing a sober account of life in the 60’s for the generation that grew up during those turbulent years. As Alex and Thomas draw closer over time, the connection they both have to Tom Thomson and the circumstances of his life and death are revealed.