Set amidst the Nez Perce War of 1877, between the U.S. Army and the Nez Perce tribe, Sullivan’s debut novel finds near-alcoholic Jack Peniel joining up with the militia after failing to protect his stepmother in a conflict between settlers and Native Americans. Jack, who suspects his deceased mother is a member of the Nez Perce tribe, is at odds with his sheriff father and heartbroken that his former girlfriend has married a doctor. Meanwhile, Nez Perce warrior Running Bird—who believes it is better to die fighting—is battling for his tribe’s existence, refusing to accept the dishonest terms of a government deal to move them onto reserved lands. He’d rather die fighting.

The story is narrated from the perspectives of Jack, Running Bird, and Nicole Lowsley, a London tourist visiting Yellowstone and caught between these worlds. Sullivan doesn’t hesitate to reveal the futility of war, exposing brutality and kindness on both sides, alongside the shocking racism of the press, making clear the role that the media has played in wars throughout history. Sullivan skillfully blends fictionalized versions of real people into the story, including General Oliver O. Howard and the Naz Perce Chief Joseph, whose epochal “I will fight no more forever” speech beats at the novel’s heart.

Sullivan’s extensive research illuminates the past and helps flesh out the cast with intriguing backstories while not diminishing narrative momentum. The language is evocative, the pacing well-controlled, and the dialogue sharp and lively (“My father is an eel-skinned liar”). Epistolary passages suggest the official language of the day, and Sullivan takes care to suggest the rhythms and cadences of the Nez Perce tongue. Sullivan has effectively captured the beauty of the mountainous terrain through which the pursuer and pursued pass, and this brings out the tragedy of the conflict in sharp relief.

Takeaway: An evocative, well-researched novel of the U.S. war against the Nez Perce.

Great for fans of: Joseph M. Marshall III’s The Long Knives Are Crying, William T. Vollmann’s The Dying Grass.

Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A