Although was first of the “” books to be published, the period of time covered (principally 1793) makes it the fourth chronologically. The story takes place on the rapidly advancing frontier of New York State and features a middle-aged Leatherstocking (Natty Bumppo), Judge Marmaduke Temple of Templeton, whose life parallels that of the author’s father Judge William Cooper, and Elizabeth Temple (Cooper’s sister), of Cooperstown. The story begins with an argument between the Judge and the Leatherstocking over who killed a buck, and as Cooper reviews many of the changes to his fictional Lake Otsego, questions of environmental stewardship, conservation, and use prevail. The plot develops as the Leatherstocking and Chingachgook begin to compete with the Temples for the loyalties of a mysterious young visitor, “Oliver Edwards,” the “young hunter,” who eventually marries Elizabeth. Chingachgook dies, exemplifying the vexed figure of the “dying Indian,” and Natty vanishes into the sunset. For all its strange twists and turns, ‘’ may be considered one of the first ecological novels in the United States. (source: Wikipedia)

Set in 1740 during the French and Indian Wars, The Deerslayer testifies to the murderous humanity and natural beauty on which the history of America was written. In the climactic novel of the Leather-stocking Tales, Hawkeye, the noble white youth, learns to sacrifice self-interest for the common good and discovers his identity in bloody struggles among the powerful Iroquois confederacy.

The final novel in Cooper’s epic Leatherstocking Tales, filled with excitement and thrill, which follows the adventures of Natty Bumppo and Dr. Bat, the latter of whom spends his time in discovering new animals and plants in the prairie. The book subtly highlights various issues of that era like the annihilation of nature and dislocation of American Indians. It provides pure reading pleasure through its vibrant details and vivid characterization. Engrossing!