Description
Book SynopsisWinner of the Western Heritage Award, this beautifully crafted historical novel from one of the West's most popular writers tells the true story of the friendship between Valentine McGillycuddy, a young doctor plucked from his prestigious medical career and newly married wife to serve in the army during the Great Sioux War, and the fearsome chief Crazy Horse.
Trade Review“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“Draws a vivid portrait of Crazy Horse and gives an interesting, fresh perspective on the Great Sioux War.”—Larry McMurtry, author of
Lonesome Dove“Impeccably researched.”—
New York Times“
The Contract Surgeon is an eerie, harrowing novel with terrifying implications. There is the aura that the ghosts of the Sioux made him write this book. It is lucid and harsh, and deftly avoids the sentimentality that mars novels that deal with our first citizens.
The Contract Surgeon should bring O’Brien to the wide audience he deserves.”—Jim Harrison, author of
Legends of the Fall“A thoughtful work of fiction about historical and psychological frontiers.”—National Public Radio
“An intriguing, well-written, down-to-earth medical western.”—
BooklistTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsAuthor's NoteIntroductionChronology of EventsThe Contract Surgeon [41 numbered chapters]
