Sick Heart River [Paperback]

John Buchan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2, 2009

Lawyer and MP Sir Edward Leithen is given a year to live. Fearing he will die unfulfilled, he devotes his last months to seeking out and restoring to health Galliard, a young Canadian banker. Galliard is in remotest Canada searching for the River of the Sick Heart. Braving an Arctic winter, Leithen finds the banker. Leithen's health returns, but only one of the men will return to civilization.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Sick Heart River turns the adventure yarn into a spiritual quest with an authority that few have ever rivalled. It alone is well worth the price of this paperback.' EVENING STANDARD --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

John Buchan, Baron Tweedsmuir, was a Scottish diplomat, barrister, journalist, historian, poet and novelist. He wrote adventure novels, short-story collections and biographies. His passion for the Scottish countryside is reflected in much of his writing. Buchan's adventure stories are high in romance and are peopled by a large cast of characters. 'Richard Hannay', 'Dickson McCunn' and 'Sir Edward Leithen' are three that reappear several times. Alfred Hitchcock adapted his most famous book 'The Thirty-Nine Steps', featuring Hannay, for the big screen. Born in 1875 in Perth, Buchan was the son of a minister. Childhood holidays were spent in the Borders, for which he had a great love. He was educated at Glasgow University and Brasenose College, Oxford, where he was President of the Union. Called to the Bar in 1901, he became Lord Milner's assistant private secretary in South Africa. By 1907, however, he was working as a publisher with Nelson's. During the First World War Buchan was a correspondent at the Front for 'The Times', as well as being an officer in the Intelligence Corps and advisor to the War Cabinet. Elected as a Conservative Member of Parliament for one of the Scottish Universities' seats in 1927, he was created Baron Tweedsmuir in 1935. From then until his death in 1940 he served as Governor General of Canada, during which time he neverthelss managed to continue writing.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: House of Stratus (January 2, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0755117174
• ISBN-13: 978-0755117178
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,541,769 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Philosophy the cold way, March 9, 2000

By 

Mike Reho (Northern Va, US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sick Heart River (Audio Cassette)

I recently read this book for a report in my English class. I usually never read anything outside of Sci-fi, fantasy, or well known classics. Although the first 30 or so pages I had trouble staying awake, it changed quickly into a book I couldn't put down. There are some great characters in this book, and Buchan leaves the reader (listener) on your toes a lot. This book had a great deal of philosophy in it, and though it took me some time to appreciate it, eventually I found that this book has a very deep meaning to it. Sick Heart River may only be available in tape-form now, but it is the same story that I read. Sick Heart River has more twists and turns in the plot than some sci-fi I've read. I hope that you enjoy this book as much as I did. The way of ending the book is also VERY original. Other than this book's slow start up, I enjoyed every page. Kudos to Buchan, a wonderful written book!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good book, November 2, 2008

By 

Lee Kam Lai "Kam" (NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sick Heart River (Paperback)

The story is captivating, good description of a man's soul searching, and being in peace with God and nature.