According to Eells, the idea for this novel started with a conversation he had with his secretary’s husband, Worth Videto. “Worth shared with me a few examples of small-town medicine from the life of his own grandfather, Dr. James Worth Townsend, of Vandercook Lake, Mich. Dr. Townsend’s half-century of medicine was very similar to that of my father, Dr. Walter E. Eells. But what really interested me at the time was Worth’s recounting of some unusual experiences his grandfather had as a young man in the summer of 1916,” says Eells.
While several elements of the main character, John McFarland, are true, the book itself is fictional. “I tried to honor the overall historical context and have my fictional characters interact with real historical actors,” says Eells. “For example, the governor of Texas at this time was, in fact, named Ferguson; Pancho Villa’s raid into New Mexico had just occurred; the border between Mexico and Texas was violent and chaotic; Texas Rangers had a tough time guarding the border and keeping the peace; and German spies were present in Mexico doing their best to keep America from entering the war in Europe.”
Eells has authored four previous books: two political biographies and two collections of essays about his father’s 60 years as a physician in a small town in New York State. He has also written over 30 articles and book reviews about the interaction of Christianity and politics in the United States. He earned a Ph.D. in American Studies from the University of New Mexico in 1976. He taught American history and politics at four colleges and universities and recently retired from full-time service from Spring Arbor University in Michigan. He and his family reside in Jackson, Mich.
To learn more about Tex Med or to order a copy, visit www.amazon.com or authorhouse.com. The Spring Arbor University Bookcellar also has a limited number of copies for sale.
Comments are closed.