January Reader’s Circle – Son of the Gamblin’ Man by Mari Sandoz

Reader’s Circle, DCHS’ monthly book club, focuses on authors or historically related stories from Douglas County. Due to snowy road conditions, the January Reader’s Circle meeting has been rescheduled to Wednesday, February 1st – Noon, at the General Crook House Museum.

January’s book will be Son of a Gamblin’ Man by Mari Sandoz. This book is an official selection of the Nebraska 150 Celebrations.

The story tells of the gambler and town site promoter who founded Cozad, Nebraska, and of his family, particularly his younger son, [who] became a world-famous artist and teacher known as ‘Robert Henri.’ This tale is essentially Robert’s story, the story of a sensitive talented boy growing up in the midst of frontier violence. But it is also the story of the ambitious promoter and of frontier people fighting hunger, cold, blizzards, droughts, grasshoppers, prairie fires, and ruthless cattlemen. . .

“Excellent historical fiction. . . . Deeply interesting and decidedly worth while. Moreover, it adds another cubit to our understanding of the flowering of America’s heartland, a story of never-ending fascination.”
—Victor P. Haas, New York Times Book Review

If you are interested in participating in the Reader’s Circle, please call 402-455-9990 ext. 101 or email Members@DouglasCoHistory.org. Cost to participate is $5 for members and $10 for non members. Special thanks to our sponsor Duggars Cafe who will be providing treats for participants.