Magic Words

April 16, 2012
Kolpan’s ambitious second novel (after Etta) follows a family of Jewish magicians from the Wild West to the glittering theaters of Victorian London. World famous Compars “the Great” Herrmann retires, passing his act to his younger brother, Alexander, who, with cousin Julius in tow, travels around America. While out west, Julius is taken captive by the Ponca Indians and becomes the tribes’ interpreter, and Alexander meets Lady-Jane Little Feather, a notorious prostitute hiding with the Ponca after burning down an Omaha whorehouse. Alexander transforms Lady-Jane into a phony, sultry Egyptian princess, who scandalizes society. Compars resents Alexander’s changes to the show that is still in his name and plots revenge by returning as the real Great Herrmann. Kolpan’s novel rollicks along with a huge cast, colorful locales, and a jolly sense of fun. The prose is at times overly cute (“If there was safety in numbers, then the Ponca had to be the most endangered people on the Plains”) and several characters seem misjudged, notably Lady-Jane, who’s too sympathetic to comfortably fill her role as a villain. It’s a flawed but entertaining romp through the world of Victorian showmanship of particular appeal to fans of comic westerns. Agent: Kate Lee, ICM.

May 15, 2012

Kidnapped in 1867 Nebraska by Ponca Indians while on a trading mission, young immigrant Julius Meyer uses his gift for languages to become the invaluable interpreter for Chief Standing Bear. Falling in love with the chief's young daughter, Prairie Flower, Julius seems to have found a place in life until he is ordered back into the white man's city to speak with politicians on behalf of the Ponca, who are to be escorted onto a new reservation. Meanwhile, his cousin Alexander Herrmann, a magician of astounding feats, comes back into Julius's life with serious consequences. Alexander, in need of an assistant, acquires the exotic Lady-Jane Little Feather, a Ponca native returned to the tribe after her life as a whore. As dangerous as she is beautiful, Lady-Jane becomes the most scandalous woman on two continents, and her enemies (including Julius) need to watch their backs. VERDICT Drawing on actual historical events and figures--Julius Meyer became a translator for many prominent Indian chiefs, and Alexander Herrmann was a famous magician--Kolpan weaves an enthralling tale of adventure featuring larger-than-life characters, without trite Western stereotypes. Readers who loved Kolpan's Etta should enjoy this new work; it will also appeal to fans of Loren D. Estleman's Westerns and Thomas Berger's Little Big Man.--Michelle Martinez, Sam Houston State Univ. Lib., Huntsville, TX

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2012
A book that takes real historical characters, mixes magic with the winning of the West and conjures an absorbing tale. In 1867, Compars Herrmann and his brother Alexander are the two most renowned illusionists in the world. Compars, the elder, performs in Europe, while Alexander goes to perform in America, sawing women in half and pulling rabbits from hats. Meanwhile, their younger cousin Julius Meyer is kidnapped in Nebraska by Ponca Indians. The Ponca spare his life but make him a slave, and he quickly learns their language and customs, becoming their interpreter. Before his capture, he'd been involved with the beautiful prostitute Lady-Jane Little Feather, who works in an Omaha brothel but burns it down, killing her cheating employer and others before high-tailing it back to the Ponca. U.S. Army soldiers--bluecoats--are in the middle of destroying the Indian tribes. Julius, a Jew, easily relates to the hostile treatment the Indians are receiving. In time, he falls in love with Prairie Flower, posing the prospect of personal harm and heartbreak. The novel covers a broad tableau that mixes murder, intrigue, sibling rivalry, personal grudges, magic and even romance--though not the magic of romance. The small Ponca tribe suffers an angry split--one group goes off to fight the bluecoats to the death, while the other quietly endures whites' betrayal and a Trail of Tears. There is plenty of trickery in this novel: stealing ideas from siblings, transforming a beautiful Indian woman into an "Arabian princess," promising Indian tribes they will never have to move from their homes. Kolpan weaves all the threads together and shows the ultimate fate of each character. He portrays a transformative period for America, one full of tragedy and illusion. A well-researched and entertaining novel filled with colorful characters and imagination. It's a good, fun read.

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Starred review from April 15, 2012
Kolpan (Etta, 2009) deepens his inquiry into overlooked figures of the Old West in his second historical novel, resurrecting Julius Meyer, the renowned translator for Native American leaders, and world-famous magicians Compars and Alexander Herrmann. Julius, a clever, bold, and brilliantly multilingual Jewish immigrant, arrives in Omaha in 1866 to assist his taciturn older brother after crossing the Atlantic with his cousin, Alexander, who joins his older and possibly deranged magician brother. Kolpan surrounds each of these intriguing historical figures and many others with captivating imaginary characters, most notably Lady-Jane Little Feather of the Ponca, an endangered Plains tribe. Forced into prostitution, Lady-Jane takes her revenge, becomes a fugitive, and, in a sleight-of-eye transformation, ends up scandalizing and entrancing London as Princess Noor-Al-Haya. The complex, nonstop action, laced with humor and romance, is as dazzling and suspenseful as Alexander's uncanny performances. But Kolpan's magical feats include more than conjuring diverse, intricately detailed historical settings and heart-revving predicaments. He also offers sensitive revelations of the horrific suffering of Native Americans forced from their homelands, crimes and tragedies he thoughtfully parallels with the bloodshed and exile endured by Jews. In all, a distinctively insightful and bewitching work of compassionate historical fiction by an adept novelist one hopes has lots more tricks up his sleeves.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)