Shambhala Publications
0 Items: $0.00

A Novel

Fiction / Sale Books / Trumpeter

List Price: $19.95
Our Price: $11.97, you save $7.98 (40%)
Usually ships in 24–48 hours.


Add To Cart

See Also...

Reviews of Black Elk in Paris

“Horsley’s five previous novels have demonstrated her ability to immerse herself in the place and time in which they are set, and her latest is no exception. In 1888, Paris is about to host the Universal Exposition, where the Eiffel Tower will be unveiled. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show is touring Europe, and two American Indians are accidentally stranded in Paris. The man called Choice is befriended by Madou, the romantic, unconventional, and opinionated daughter of the Balise family. Philippe, the Balise family doctor, becomes the third member of this odd triangle: he tries to help both Choice, who is homesick to the point of being ill, and Madou, who is gradually falling in love with the Indian. Based on the true story of Black Elk, Horsley’s tale is told in the doctor’s voice and includes his solitary ruminations on socialism, the ways in which physicians are ‘paid to alleviate fears,’ and the plight of the laboring classes. Horsley’s perceptive comparison of Parisian society and Choice’s upbringing is carefully limned and never overstated.”—Booklist

"Horsley is a supremely stylish writer."—Los Angeles Times

"Horsley has created a work of great philosophical playfulness."—Kirkus

"The city of lights sparkles in this historical novel."—Publishers Weekly


 


Description of Black Elk in Paris

It's 1888, and Paris is drunk on its own beauty and scientific and artistic accomplishment. The city is poised to host the Universal Exposition, a testimony to French power and colonization, and to unveil its extraordinary centerpiece, the Eiffel Tower.

Philippe Normand is a modest, likable physician who, in his profession, is privy to the foibles and addictions of the rich, the desperation of the poor, and the egotism of his colleagues. He is a regular guest at the dinner table of the Balise family, whose health he has cared for over many years. He is especially close to Madou, the strong-willed youngest daughter in the family, who is fed up with the arrogance of French culture and the constraints it puts on women. Philippe himself is lonely, burnt out on his profession, and disillusioned with conventional medical science.

While attending a Wild West show that is touring Europe, Madou is strangely drawn to the Native American Black Elk. "Choice" —as he is known in the show—is seen as an oddity by French society; he is a mysterious figure, poised and uncannily intuitive, but desperately homesick. Philippe and Madou try to help him, but it is Choice who ends up transforming the lives of all those around him.