In this continuation of the story she began in Doc, Mary Doria Russell presents her richly detailed and meticulously researched presentation of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and the beginning of the mythology that surrounds it to this day. Her characterization of these men and the times they lived in within her narrative is so rich that you feel like you are right in the middle of all the action.
It is a story of a divided nation, vicious politics, and a partisan media that rivals that of today. America in 1881 is shown in all its gritty splendor and you can't tell the good guys and the bad guys from the color of the hat they wear. To me, the character that really shines in this book (as well as the first book in this series "Doc") is Doc Holliday. He is such a complex person with so many different sides to his personality and so many diverse talents that I find him quite fascinating. And the dynamics at work within the Earp brothers and the women who loved them are so interesting as a backdrop for this historical event that we think we know so much about already.
And then there is Wyatt Earp. A good man who is caught right in the middle of a great tragedy and yet still tries to remain a hero. When I was growing up I loved watching the TV program, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp starring Hugh O'Brien. I can still sing the theme song..."the west it was lawless but one man was flawless..."
Luminous and elegant; a compulsively good read.
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