Sick Heart River is a novel by Scottish

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

 author John Buchan set in Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. It was published posthumously. The book was published in the United States under the title Mountain Meadow.

Plot summary

The plot is particularly poignant, since it discusses a terminally ill man, Edward Leithen

Edward Leithen

Sir Edward Leithen is the hero of/character in several of John Buchan's novels. These were published over a number of years, the first in 1916, and the last in 1941, one year after Buchan's death...

, going off to die in a hidden valley in the Canadian wilderness.

Buchan wrote this while Governor General of Canada

Governor General of Canada

The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...

 and it was published posthumously following his death as a result of a fall and stroke

Stroke

A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...

. It is one of Buchan's most spiritual novels, talking about death and redemption.

External links

• Review of Sick Heart River at the John Buchan Society website