A masterwork of American fiction. The story of a forgotten America, a bittersweet sepia-toned exploration of the intertwined plights of Edward Curtis, a real-life frontier photographer, and the American Indian. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Longtime NPR commentator Cheuse returns with his ambitious if not entirely successful ninth book, a novel based on the life of Edward Curtis, the photographer who in 1904 dedicated his life to creating a pictorial record of Native American tribes. Narrated by Curtis's assistant, William Myers, the novel also tells the story of Jimmy Fly-wing, a Plains Indian who leaves his tribe to learn the ways of the white man and aids Curtis in his quest. Curtis's passion for his project is palpable, and his dedication forces him to choose between his family and his work. Though he becomes estranged from his wife, Clara, he is rewarded by the faith and gratitude of many of the peoples he photographed and by glimpses into secret tribal traditions. Though the historical material is often compelling, the novel's focus can diffuse as Cheuse moves between the narrative strands and struggles to keep the story moving over 50 years. When not stuck in the doldrums, the narrative brims with keen insight. (Oct.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Edward S. Curtis is widely known through his photographic encyclopedia of North America's tribal peoples, but little is known of the man himself. NPR commentator Cheuse (The Fires; The Light Possessed) envisions the backstory in his new novel. Much of the narration falls to William Myers, the classics scholar recruited to accompany Curtis because of his facility with languages. Some chapters are credited to Jimmy Fly-Wing, a Native American who studied his own people through the newly defined discipline of anthropology at the University of Chicago. And Curtis's wife, Clara, weighs in with poignant reflections on raising a family and running a portrait studio while her husband devotes himself to his overwhelming love, a project that takes him into remote parts of America as well as its larger cities; raising funds for the next trip from the likes of Theodore Roosevelt and J.P. Morgan takes as much time and work as the journeys and photographs themselves. Cheuse does an admirable job of invoking a period, a quest, and the spiritual convergence of times ancient and modern. Recommended for popular reading collections. Debbie Bogenschutz, Cincinnati State Technical and Community Coll., OH Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Critic and fiction writer Cheuse is cued to the visual, finding in the pattern of light and dark the inspiration for language clear and deep, and finding in the lives of artists stories of great resonance. Georgia O'Keeffe was the catalyst for The Light Possessed (1990), and now Cheuse, like Marianne Wiggins in The Shadow Catcher (2007), fictionalizes the life of Edward Curtis (1868ű1952). Seattle's finest portrait photographer, Curtis walks away from his studio and family to embark on a quixotic and invaluable mission, photographing Native Americans as tribes are uprooted and traditions imperiled. Enthralled by Curtis' adventures, sacrifices, and indelibly beautiful and haunting photographs, Cheuse succeeds in conveying the significance of Curtis' documentary and artistic achievements, even as he clumsily romanticizes Curtis' life. In spite of contrivances, Cheuse's characters are pleasing, including Curtis' loyal assistant; his aggrieved wife; Jimmy Fly-Wings, a young warrior who becomes an anthropologist; and J. P. Morgan's sexy librarian. Vivid and poignant, flaws and all, Cheuse's ambitious historical novel illuminates one man's heroic obsession and the perpetual dichotomies of duty and dream, discovery and loss. Seaman, Donna. From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.