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This title in other editionsThe Indian Agentby Dan Obrien
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:Dan O’Brien’s earlier award-winning novel, The Contract Surgeon,introduced readers to Valentine McGillycuddy, the U.S. Army contract surgeon who became a friend of the great war chief Crazy Horse. Through McGillycuddy’s eyes, the novel recounted the friendship that so deeply impacted history. It also chronicled the great Sioux Wars, one of the most violent periods in this nation’s history. The Indian Agent is the riveting sequel to The Contract Surgeon. After Crazy Horse’s death, McGillycuddy went on to become the youngest agent in history for the Red Cloud Agency, renamed the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, of the Oglala Lakota band of the Sioux. Red Cloud and McGillycuddy have diametrically opposing views, though they have more in common than either knows. They both love the land and they both love the past. The politics and the enormous tensions of the early days on the reservation are depicted in fascinating detail, as McGillycuddy (known as “the most investigated man” in the government) urges the Sioux to adopt a life of farming. He had lived on the vast plains with them. No white man knew better what the Sioux had given up—nor understood more fully the impossibility of returning to the old life. Full of the dynamic history of the Plains, The Indian Agent is the true story of the conversion of this land from one of free nomadic people to one of settled commerce—achieved only at an unfathomable cost. The Indian Agent is a masterpiece that leads us through one of the most painful periods of the West to the novel’s devastating climax at Wounded Knee. Review:"In this sequel to The Contract Surgeon, the winner of the 2000 Western Heritage Award for Fiction, O'Brien resumes his fictionalized biography of renowned physician Valentine T. McGillycuddy. Singled out for his experience among the Sioux — McGillycuddy attended Crazy Horse on his deathbed — the 30-year-old doctor accepts a surprise appointment to replace the government's corrupt Indian agent at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, where the imperious, unruly warrior chief Red Cloud is held. Arriving in South Dakota in 1879 with his wife, Fanny, the new Indian agent slowly gains the confidence of the Sioux by ensuring that Washington makes good on its commitment of rations, introducing the Sioux to an agrarian lifestyle and establishing an Indian police force. Gradually, however, McGillycuddy's good work is undermined by opposition in Washington, and he watches Fanny's physical condition deteriorate, disappointing their hopes for children. Replaced in 1887, McGillycuddy becomes president of the School of Mines in Rapid City, S.Dak. Without stewardship, the Sioux return to warlike ways and he is summoned too late to prevent the massacre at Wounded Knee. Readers will clamor for a further installment of this well-written, absorbing and deeply affecting story. Agent, Brandt & Hochman Literary Agency. (Oct.) Forecast: Great word of mouth should help build a larger readership for O'Brien. The author lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota, and his Western expertise and passion are evident. " Publishers Weekly (Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information, Inc.) Synopsis:A riveting novel about Red Cloud, the Pine Ridge Indian Agency, and the agent who made his mark on history. Synopsis:In praise of The Contract Surgeon: "The Contract Surgeon draws a vivid portrait of Crazy Horse and gives an interesting, fresh perspective on the Great Sioux War." -Larry McMurtry "[An] impeccably researched novel." -The New York Times Book Review In 1999 The Contract Surgeon was published to great critical acclaim. It introduced readers to Valentine McGillycuddy, the U.S. Army contract surgeon who became a friend of the great war chief Crazy Horse. Through McGillycuddy's eyes, the novel recounts the friendship that so deeply impacted history. It also chronicles the Great Sioux War, one of the most violent and reprehensible periods in this nation's history. THE INDIAN AGENT is the riveting sequel to The Contract Surgeon. After Crazy Horse's death, McGillycuddy went on to become the youngest agent in history for the Red Cloud Agency, renamed the Pine Ridge Indian Agency, where he served longer than any other agent before him. The politics and the enormous tensions of the early days of the reservation are depicted in fascinating detail, as are the Sioux people's painful attempts at transition to reservation life. McGillycuddy had lived on the vast plains with them. No one knew better what the Sioux had given up- or understood more fully the impossibility of returning to that life. Incredibly suspenseful and full of the texture of the Great Plains, THE INDIAN AGENT is a masterpiece that leads us through one of the most devastating periods of the West, to the book's climax-the massacre at Wounded Knee. About the AuthorDAN O'BRIEN, one of the West's most celebrated writers, is the author of nine books. The Contract Surgeon won the 2000 Western Heritage Award for Fiction. His collection of short stories, Eminent Domain, won the Iowa Short Fiction Award, and O'Brien is the recipient of many national awards and grants. He lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota. What Our Readers Are SayingAdd a comment for a chance to win!Average customer rating based on 1 comment:
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