Medicine River (Masterplots II: American Fiction Series, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Thomas King
- First Published: 1989
- Type of Plot: Social realism
- Time of Work: The 1980’s
- Setting: Alberta, Canada
- Principal Characters: Will Sampson, Harlen Bigbear, Louise Heavyman, Rose Sampson, James Sampson, Jake Pretty Weasel, Susan Adamson, David Plume
- Genres: Long fiction, Social realism
- Subjects: Parents and children, Suicide, 1980’s, Native Americans or American Indians, Fathers, Multiculturalism, Canada or Canadians, Photography or photographers, Basketball
- Locales: Alberta, Canada
The Novel
Medicine River chronicles the lives of a group of contemporary Native Americans in Western Canada. The novel is divided into eighteen short chapters. The story is recounted by the protagonist, Will Sampson, in an amiable, conversational fashion, with frequent flashbacks to earlier portions of his life.
The novel begins with an encounter between Will and Harlen Bigbear. Harlen is an entrepreneur who has set Will up in his own photography business. Harlen is Will’s best friend, but there is something unpredictable about him. Harlen is much more dynamic...
[The entire page is 2431 words long]
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