Sun-Painted Man

Sun-Painted Man is a historical novel of intrigue, with real and fictional characters and events. Inspired by the true story of Red-Boy, a young Indian veteran who returns to the Blackfeet reservation in Montana still fighting the ghosts of the First World War. The suffering he sees people freezing in the brutal winter cold, plagued by diseases that could be cured with food and medicine drives him to action. Along the way, he makes powerful enemies by speaking out against the abuses and corruption visited upon his tribe. Red-Boy's enemies retaliate by falsely accusing him of rape and rigging his trial. He is sentenced to twenty years in Leavenworth prison. His only hope for freedom is a New England businessman the adopted son of Curly Bear, a Blackfeet chief who works tirelessly to expose the lies of those who plotted to convict him. Based on the actual diaries, court papers and photographs belonging to the author's great-uncle, Christian F. Schuster, who lived with the Blackfeet, spoke their language and knew their culture intimately.