Review: Doc by Mary Doria Russell

Doc by Mary Doria Russell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Let me start with the fact that I'm not a western girl ... I have no interest in anything western or in the wild west. The only other book about the west that I've read is Lonesome Dove which is an amazing book. But, a number of people who I trust have said they enjoyed this one so I decided to give it a shot. Plus, it's written by Mary Doria Russell who is an amazing writer. If anyone could interest me in the wild west, she can!

And I so enjoyed this novel ... I know almost nothing about Wyatt Earp or Doc Holliday other than the very basics. This book was really good at getting me up to speed on life in the west at that time in history as well as grounding me in the people and relationships surrounding these men. Doc is a fascinating character and I love how Russell shows us the good and bad of this really interesting man. Her depiction of the west was also quite interesting ... for the first time, I was interested in thinking about what life was like at that time in history. I love how this novel gave me insight into a time and place in history that I was sure that I didn't care about. She ultimately made me care much more than I'd ever have thought possible!

This isn't a fast book to read. The pacing is slow and the descriptions are thorough. The pacing is primarily what I'd describe as leisurely. It won't be for everyone but I really enjoyed this one! I'm looking forward to reading Epitaph which continues this story by following Wyatt and Doc to Tombstone, AZ. I definitely recommend this one ... if you enjoy historical fiction, this is really more of that than a western!