Book Review: Doc by Mary Doria Russell
Four Stars
“The entire criminal code of the state of Kansas boils down to four words: Don’t kill the customers.”
Revising history in a pleasant, readable way. Russell looks deep into the facts behind the tall tales surrounding this Wild West icon and comes up with an engaging story of what John Henry “Doc” Holliday may have been at his best.
“Serious as a snake bite.”
Have read enough of Russell to appreciate how her voice and idioms vary with the time and place of her story. Well done.
“The law can relieve a man of guilt, but not of his remorse.”
Russell also gives insight into the southern state of mind after Reconstruction. A lingering legacy of Radical Republican punishment of the South after the Civil War plays out today.
“Being born is craps. How we live is poker. Mamma played a bad hand well.”
Read the end notes to discover a possible connection between Holliday and Gone with the Wind.
“Dear Lord, please, give him time! Please, Lord, let him finish!” “Now. Now. Now. Take me now.”
As a Matter of Fancy 