Peter Matthiessen and Shadow Country

I just finished this awesome book. It is a fictionalized account of a real man named E.J. Watson who lived on the frontiers of the Florida Everglades around the turn of the 20th century. Watson is a fascinating character and was a legendary man in south Florida who was gunned down by a mob of his own neighbors. Mathiessen perfectly recreates the voices of the people of South Florida during that time. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in American history, Florida history (what it was like before all the development), race relations and identity or simply great writing.

check out these Peter Mathiessen video links: Lost Man's River - a 6 part video that follows Mathiessen exploring the Everglades and an interview with Charlie Rose.