The Contract Surgeon
- Binding: Paperback
- Edition: 1
- Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
- Publish date: 05/01/2001
Description:
This "impeccably researched" (New York Times) and "engaging" (Seattle Times) historical western from one of the West's most popular writers tells the true story of the extremely unlikely friendship between Valentine McGillicuddy, a young doctor plucked from his prestigious medical career to serve in the army during the Great Sioux War, and the great war chief Crazy Horse. When Crazy Horse finally agrees to surrender to the United States, mistrust and treachery on both sides foster the conflict, and Crazy Horse is stabbed. McGillicuddy declares the chief his patient and struggles through a long night to keep him alive.
Expand description
Set in the Great Plains during the bloodiest period in its history, this tale of bravery, justice, and love weaves a tapestry of time and events into the account of a single day -- the last day in the life of Crazy Horse -- to reveal the secrets of American history. "This powerful story is a thinking man's western, in which action is secondary to O'Brien's nuanced exploration of character and the tragic dimensions of a morally fraught conflict" (Publishers Weekly). The Contract Surgeon is "a thoughtful work of fiction about historical and psychological frontiers" (Alan Cheuse, National Public Radio).
Please Wait