'Epitaph' is Kerri's book pick

'Epitaph' by Mary Doria Russell
'Epitaph' by Mary Doria Russell
Courtesy of Harper Collins

Mary Doria Russell returns to the O.K. Corral with her new book "Epitaph."

Her previous novel "Doc," released in 2011, brought forth a richly imagined and thoroughly researched view of America's favorite gunfighter: Doc Holliday.

Now she takes readers inside those fateful 30 seconds at the O.K. Corral that made Doc Holliday a household name. All the familiar characters are there: Holliday, Wyatt Earp, the McLaurys and the Clantons. Russell also wrangles up a fascinating dose of historical context to ground the Wild West myth.

From The Washington Post:

She sets the event within the broader context of the times -- creating a sweeping canvas that touches on subjects as disparate as the politics of President Chester A. Arthur and life in the Jewish quarter of San Francisco. It's a stunning performance, richer in depth than Larry McMurtry's version in "The Last Kind Words Saloon" (2014) and much broader in scope than Loren D. Estleman's brilliant 1987 novel "Bloody Season."

Russell will join MPR News' Kerri Miller on March 31 to discuss the infamous shoot-out and its place in the American imagination.

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