In 1827, after a lengthy recovery, he settled with his second wife back on Mackinac Island. He worked as an interpreter at a U.S. army outpost. It was here that he met Edwin James, an explorer, botanist, and physician who transcribed Tanner's dramatic story of life among the Ojibwe. Published in 1830, "A Narrative of the Captivity and Adventures of John Tanner..." was a popular success as well as an important and detailed historical record of the Ojibwe people during a critical period of change. It was later translated into German and French. Tanner also collaborated with Edwin James to create an Ojibwe translation of the New Testament.