The Buffalo Soldier: A Novel
by Chris Bohjalian
Date Reviewed: June 20, 2004
A pretty quick read, this is the story of a family torn apart (albeit not obviously) by the tragedy of the deaths of their twin daughters in a flood. The father is a state trooper, the mother runs the local animal shelter. The majority of the story takes place two years after the death of the twins, when the couple has taken in a ten-year-old black boy as a foster child in Vermont. The couple is white, as is the rest of their town. The story explores race relations, infidelity (and all its consequences), bereavement, bonding, what it means to be a foster child, and a host of other topics, all nicely interwoven into a very compelling story. The characters are nuanced, consistent, and believable. A definite page-turner.
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