Castle Garden

This tale of a young Jewish runaway’s adventures across America is “a rip-roaring saga about the waning days of the Old West” (Publishers Weekly).

“When we first meet Meyer Liebermann, he’s sitting in an Idaho jail, accused of murder. Meyer, a mute, begins to write out his life story. It begins in New York in 1887 where, as the adopted son of a prosperous Jewish family, he consistently disappoints his parents. After running away from home, he is assaulted on the street and left mute by his assailants, only to be nursed back to health by the Indians of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. Soon he’s on the road with his new family, earning his keep by writing letters for Buffalo Bill. . . . This is a western novel with the most unique protagonist one is ever likely to encounter. Meyer is funny, self-aware, courageous, compassionate, and in his own fashion, tough as nails. He survives a harsh land via his wits and his single skill—letter writing—which proves to be every bit as useful (and a hell of a lot more interesting) than a quick draw and a sharp aim. Western fans expecting standard ‘six-gun justice’ will be pleasantly surprised.” —Booklist

“From the show-business antics of Calamity Jane to the strike-breaking violence at the Colorado and Idaho coal mines, Meyer watches America changing . . . this yarn is a keeper.” —Publishers Weekly