Magic Words: The Tale of a Jewish Boy-Interpreter, the World's Most Estimable Magician, a Murderous Harlot, and America's Greatest Indian Chief

by Gerald Kolpan

In a riveting novel of love and adventure, young Julius Meyer comes to the New World to find himself acting as translator for the famed Indian chief Standing Bear. Young Jewish immigrant Julius comes of age surrounded by the wild world of 1867 Nebraska. He befriends the mysterious Prophet John, who saves his life when the two are captured by the Ponca Indian tribe. Living as a slave, Julius meets the noble chief Standing Bear and his young daughter,Prairie Flower, with whom he falls in love. Becoming the tribe’s interpreter―its “speaker”―his life seems safe and settled. But Julius has reckoned without the arrival of his older cousin, Alexander―who, as the Great Herrmann, is the most famous young magician in America. Nor does he suspect the ultimate consequences of Alex’s affair with Lady-Jane Little Feather, a glamorous―and murderous―prostitute destined to become the most scandalous woman on two continents. Filled with adventure, humor, and colorful characters, Magic Words is a riveting adventure about the nature of prejudice,the horror of genocide, and a courageous young man who straddles two worlds to fight for love and freedom.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Novels, Historical, Fantasy, Adult Fiction, Native Americans

396 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2012

Reviews

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starts out terrifically with interesting historical based characters who promise an action packed engrossing read. Julius Meyer and his cousin Alexander are Jews leaving the Old World behind for the promise of the New. Alexander is a magician in training with his older brother, and will soon surpass him to become the world's most famous magician. Julius goes to the frontier to work in his brother's store but is kidnapped by the Ponca Indian tribe. Thanks to his amazing ability to quickly learn and speak like a native any language he is exposed to, he is adopted as a son by the Chief and becomes the tribe's translator.

Aside from the two Meyers being cousins, for which there is no historical evidence, this is evidently all true. What a great setup! Kolpan also introduces good fictional characters to play significant roles in his story. Lady-Jane is a Ponca Indian who is forced into prostitution in the white world as a girl and who later becomes Alexander's assistant. She has a troubling inclination towards taking violent vengeance on those she believes have wronged her. Chased By Owls is a remorseless Ponca warrior, representing those Indians who refused to bend the knee to the white government and its untrustworthy promises.

The sympathetic parallels between the situation of Jews in a Christian Europe and Native Americans in a white North America are believably illuminated.

The usually entertaining story moves quickly. For readers accustomed to the leisurely pace of much literary fiction, it moves astonishingly quickly. This left me disappointed at times. For instance, when Julius is kidnapped by the Ponca he is treated poorly and naturally would like nothing better than to get back home. After his facility with language is discovered and the chief announces he will adopt him, the story instantly leaps many months ahead and we find Julius with a fierce and loving attachment to the Ponca, refusing to go back to his birth family. That is a major character transition, and there is not a page given to that process.

The ending becomes rather soap opera like. Alexander's EVIL brother Comparrs makes trouble. But really he's not half as evil as our author makes out. Maybe not even a quarter, unless he's got a secret slavery operation off on the side. A new love interest gets misty-eyed, pressing her wet face into a manly lapel. Well that was unfortunate.

Overall though this is a fun read, pretty well balanced between light entertainment and Things Worth Thinking About.

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

A PHANTASMAGORICAL ROMP.

“Surely, only in America could a savage receive such gratitude for the purchase of a lurid tale printed on cheap paper for the entertainment of children and fools”. (l. 401-402)

“But in a world with no wonders, it’s hard to be magic.” (l. 5977)

As the title might suggest, Magic Words: The Tale of a Jewish Boy-Interpreter, the World’s Most Estimable Magician, a Murderous Harlot, and America’s Greatest Indian Chief, by Gerald Kolpan is a very vast and many faceted tale. Colorfully and compellingly told, with an incredible cast of vivid characters; it is an adventure story of the wild, wild west, like none you’ve ever read, before—as wide and whimsical as it is deep. Always lighthearted, except when it’s not, with tongue firmly planted in cheek.

Recommendation: This is fine historical fiction with excitement and adventure added for good measure. A ‘must read’ for historical fiction mavens.

“As part of his finding, the judge ruled that the American Indian, heretofore seen as an alien member of a foreign race, is in fact, a person under the constitution.” (l. 4298)

“Sometimes I think civilization is overrated.” (l. 6087)

Kindle edition, 6,502 locations

[Alice Heiserman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun but difficult to follow novel with several themes. One theme involved Jewish immigrants to America who either owned stores or were magicians in the late 19th century. This was contrasted with American Indians who were treated worse than the Jewish merchants. One Jewish man who had a gift for languages was captured by the Poncha Indians and learned their language and became a member of their tribe falling in love with the daughter of the chief. During this strand, we learn about the forced migration of the tribe and the horrors that the US Government inflicted on them--not keeping its word about food and land that they had promised. The several themes were difficult to keep straight but the overall tone of the novel was rollicking. The female characters were either saintly or saintly whores or outright whores. Rivalry between two magicians kept the pace of the novel going. It was a fun read but the discrimination against both the Jews and the Indians came through and shed light on this aspect of American history.

[Barbi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is wonderful!! Dishes still in the sink, but I don't care. I had to finish it! Some parts are fiction, however most is based on true characters. Highly recommend

[Kate McKinney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beguiling tale of historical fiction (w/some true-life characters), about the 1800's American West w/its confluence of cultures. It's hard at times to get to the heart of this very interesting & endearing story due to the somewhat unusual writing-style of the author, which makes inference necessary in determining what's going on w/the plot & characters sometimes (ie; "he" & "she" references aren't always clear, so the reader must presume who's being referenced; characters & their relationships to each other are often introduced out of sequence & in a convoluted way). Aside from navigating the writing, the book manages to be engaging from the start & makes the reader curious about the characters & their direction. The Wild West scenes are interesting & illuminate American history creatively, through the unique perspectives offered by each of the characters. Unfortunately, although there were many flashy, fascinating personalities, only a few of them were likeable, for me: those were Julius, Prairie Flower & Standing Bull. The others represented a whole host of unpleasant & offputting traits, from coarse harshness, to manipulative trickery, to outright brutality (ie; the whore "Lady Jane" who spat, cussed & brutally murdered, in the service of what she perceived as her own self-preservation & the Hermann brothers compulsively competing in their eerie magician-show worlds, to the point of chilling blackmails). Lots of insights though: There's important exploration of the impacts of Westward expansion on the many tribes of Native American Indians & the conflicts they encountered, while attempting to trust the devious white men & politicians conquering the land. Very sad, poignant reflections around the themes of extinction/bondage vs freedom, for the Indians & for other characters in the book as well (including immigrant Jews fleeing European oppression) - (made me cry; why are humans so cruel to each other?). A very, very good book.

[Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

I admit that I picked up this book simply because of the title. I became fully engrossed by the end of the first chapter. The stories of the characters in the title weave together across the American frontier and around the theater scene of the United States and Europe of the later 19th century.
Kolpan was able to explore the growing pains of this country as it left the Civil War behind but continued to face issues of minorities, primarily the Native American population, without becoming either lecturing or too schmaltzy. The showmanship of the magicians in the story came to life in my mind. I felt the conclusion both tied up loose ends but also managed to catch me by surprise.
Though the author admitted to taking some creative liberties with parts of the story, many of the the characters were historical people, so I both learned something and really enjoyed reading this!

[Smith Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magic Words by Gerald Kolpan is a rich historical adventure that blends coming-of-age, cultural conflict, and romance into a sweeping narrative.

What stands out is the unique perspective of Julius a character caught between worlds navigating identity, loyalty, and survival. The mix of real historical figures and dramatic storytelling adds depth, while themes of prejudice and resilience give the novel lasting impact.

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had absolutely no idea where this book was going for most of it. Normally this would irritate me but the shortness of the chapters kept me interested and I could vividly imagine every character from the well written descriptions.

I would really recommend this for some light hearted (and not so light hearted) easy reading.

[Smitty · Rating 3 out of 5]

He started with historical figures who had a rich background to draw on in detail. The ending caught me a bit off guard because of the leap in time...almost like he got to his quota of pages and had to wrap it up. It took some effort for me to recall the circumstances. After finishing the book, I went to the web to read more about the characters.

[David Feder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imaginative Historical Fiction

It is a thoroughly entertaining and realistic interesting of historical fact and imagination into rarely explored aspects of late 19th century America. Kolpan sheds light on some of the darker moments of our past.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love some good historical fiction!

[Diane Teeter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love historical novels. Well written

[Audrey Apfel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wild fun adventure with a bunch of unlikely characters based on some true historical figures. Not the deepest read but a nice break and better than I expected!

[Herb Neumann · Rating 5 out of 5]

A crazy quilt novel, full of semi-historical and full-on social and political references.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was by turns entertaining and frustrating. There are several characters in the book that were real, historical figures, and the fictional narrative is woven through their lives and around some true, historical events. These events take place in the late 1800's in America's wild west and Europe (England, mostly). The characters are memorable, including two Jewish immigrants with interesting vocations (a genius linguist and a talented magician), among several other interesting characters including Native Americans, frontiersmen, prostitutes, military men, performers, more magicians, and the like. I'll leave a synopsis out, as you can easily read several elsewhere, and, anyway, the story is so convoluted I wouldn't know how to summarize it.

What I found frustrating about the book was the author's choice of point of view. I don't know if, technically, it was an omniscient POV or just head hopping, but it seriously affected my enjoyment of the book. For fun, I flipped back through the book and tried to count how many characters we have the displeasure of being in their POV for a time. I may have even missed a few, because sometimes, a character only gets a paragraph of POV in the whole novel. I counted twenty-nine. 29!!! That is just unnecessary and distracting. I got nothing I HAD to have from many of these people's perspectives and it just tore me away from the emotional attachment I was forging with the main characters. A lot of these people were introduced to the novel in the second half and we get to start chapters in their POV. Argh! I constantly had to ask myself if I should have known who the character was already.

Along that line, there are two brothers, both magicians, that the author constantly uses to build up false suspense when their chapters begin. False suspense meaning you don't know who's POV you are in until a little further in the chapter. Well, that's just wrong. It is stated up front who's POV you are in in every other instance. The suspense should be inherent in the character's actions as pertaining to the story, not derived from the reader simply wondering which brother it is. Suspense is good, but not for the wrong reasons. There are too darn many characters to keep track of to start with--I want to know whose head I'm in!

Also, the exciting bits of the story arc were constantly being interrupted by jumping between the two main story threads to fill us in on multiple other minor story threads, stalling the action and pace. Some of these minor threads, while fictionally or historically interesting, could have been cut from the novel without damaging the plot of the two interconnecting main threads (or introduced into the knowledge of the main characters' POVs some other way). And I REALLY wish the overall number of third person POVs had been cut down to clean up the narrative. The head hopping just wasn't for me in this particular novel, though I've not been bothered by that when executed better.

[Ronald Fischman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like reading important stories. I like reading well-written stories even more. I like to think I've written one, 3 Through History https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...) When both needs are satisfied in one reading experience, I like to make it clear to as many people as possible that I have found a gem, a book that will live with the reader as a work of art and as a collection of memorable scenes and unforgettable characters.

Such a book it Magic Words, a meticulously researched historical novel by Gerald Kolpan (2012, Pegasus). The title is a complex play on words. By themselves, the magic refers to two magicians, an older and a much younger brother, who both used the same stage name and between whom there was bad blood boiling, both personal and professional, that extended to affairs of heart and bed, finally resulting in the murder that opens and closes the book. The “words” belonged to the protagonist and major character, Julius Meyer, whose rare gift for languages earned him the title of Speaker of the Ponca Indians, that tribe that was decimated in the Trail of Tears exile. As a phrase, the title captures the power that words, language, and books have always had for Jews, and when this particular Jew, Julius, finds the Ponca, the phrase is transformed into a kind of prayer.

Kolpan sets himself a prodigious task. The mystery of the murder at the beginning is only solved at the end, and then in such a way that the reader is almost banging the book against the nightstand, demanding that three new questions be answered. So if this were a mere whodunit, it would stand up well. If it were the improbable story of the intrigue between two brothers, several assistants, and other figures of nineteenth-century hocus-pocus and illusion, the reader would be well-rewarded. But this narration informs us of a timeless revelation into what it means to be Jewish, discovered only by Julius One-Tongue Meyer after years of living at once an “egg-eater” and a Ponca: “Sometimes, I imagine the Ponca are this tribe that was lost to me all that time ago – my people returned from wandering,” Julius tells his betrothed. Our wandering brings us closer to ourselves, if only we can recognize the lost tribesman from whom we were separated, literally or figuratively, so long ago.

This review first appeared on my blog, http://3throughhistory.blogspot.com

[Danny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two young men travel from Europe to America just after the end of the Civil War. Each intends to take an apprenticeship, one as a magician and one as a shopkeeper. The story of their successes and failures is the glue that binds this book together. The narrative charges wildly across continents and cultures as author Gerald Kolpan gives us characters filled with ambition, madness, and life.

While Alexander Herrmann does become a celebrated magician, it is this very success that could bring about his destruction from a jealous rival. His cousin, Julius Meyer, has less luck. Instead of spending his life as a shopkeeper, he finds himself held captive in the wilderness. Soon, though, he is a translator for the chief of a small Indian tribe trying to survive in a time when the American Government seeks to eradicate them. From the prairie around Omaha to the stages of London theaters, the cousins make their way in the world using whatever tricks are at their disposal.

This is a historical adventure novel that gives you a preview of the excitement to come in the subtitle: "The Tale of a Jewish Boy-Interpreter, the Frontier's Most Estimable Magician, a Murderous Harlot, and America's Greatest Indian Chief."

If you don't like the post-Civil War era, maybe you'd prefer a similar story set around World War II. Michael Chabon's "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay" tells the tale of another pair of Jewish cousins making their way in America. Joe Kavalier is sent from Prague to stay with his cousin in New York, thereby escaping the rise of the Nazis. The cousins discover a mutual love of drawing and break into the comic book industry.

It's an excellently written book which won a Pulitzer Prize in 2001.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Magic Words" appears to have everything I want in a good bedtime book: historical fiction, stage magicians, short chapters, and a decent premise. For the most part, it delivers. Kolpan's writing is easy to read. The plot line, however, is sometimes hard to follow. At one point, we are bouncing around at least three different narratives on separate continents without any idea of a time frame. Indeed, time seems incredibly amorphous, almost like watching Terry Gilliam's "Time Bandits." I would have really appreciated some sort of dating or timestamp at the beginning of chapters, especially when things move forward more than a few weeks.

While there's certainly leeway in historical fiction, I feel like the author takes a bit too much liberty with the facts and personages who populate his story, making the elder Carl (Compars) Herrmann to be a right evil bastard when in reality he was nowhere near as devious and malicious as his fictional counterpart. Making all the Jewish characters apparently related to one another can get very confusing and, I feel, unnecessary to the story. Just being a Jew in Omaha, NE in the late 19th century is enough of a tie to others in the Jewish community. The conceit of having everyone be related to some degree seems very contrived.

All that being said, I enjoyed the book. As noted, the chapters are short and book-ended very well, so to speak.

[Karin Bartimole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just loved this book!!
It takes place, primarily, in 1867 Nebraska, where the unrest between native people and early settlers is high, as is antisemitism.
The title says it all - we are introduced to Julius, the "jewish boy-interpreter" who has an unnatural talent and can learn new languages almost immediately, which helps him with the Indians he eventually becomes close with; and there's Alexander, his older cousin - the greatest magician in America, if not the "World's Most Estimable Magician" who is probably his somewhat evil Uncle; the "murderous Harlot" becomes Alex's assistant, and she is an equally beautiful and dangerous woman...

Though the very tragic issues of the day are addressed, with brutal battles between American soldiers and Indians, and court fights against the American government in attempts to keep the Ponca Tribe on their land, rather than having to move, on foot, across country under the worst of circumstances, the human spirit thrives through out.

I thoroughly enjoyed the weaving of historical characters with fictional, the magical and brutal, the sorrowful and comical, and the constant adventure!

[Viccy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This fascinating books looks at several lesser known historical figures and weaves them into an amazing tale of survival. Julius Meyer immigrated to the U.S. in 1839. With his amazing facility for languages, he learns six Native American dialects and cultivates friendships among the tribes. His brothers, Compars and Alexander, were well-known stage magicians. Life ebbs and flows around these three main characters, along with Standing Bear, a Ponca chief and a beautiful, but murderous prostitute. Their adventures span almost a century and details history (with some bending of facts to fit the story line). While I have issues with the character development (there is hardly any), I did enjoy the illusions, lies and betrayals that haunt all the characters' lives. An epilogue does separate fact from fantasy at the end.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was entertaining and it was fun to read about our country's history without a bunch of facts and dates, but rather with a slightly more engaging story line and colorful characters. While I didn't find this book to be a page turner, it was engaging and a fun read. As devastating as the history of the American Indian is, it was very interesting reading about how some of it transpired. It was also a blast to read about the life of the magician Alexander The Great and how he tantalized and scandalized the world with his antics and mysterious feats of magic.

[Paula Hebert · Rating 3 out of 5]

based on true events and people, magic words follows jewish brothers, one a world famous magician, as they travel to america to seek their fortune. one brother, who has an amazing ability to learn languages and speak them without any accent, finds himself in the west, caught in the middle of the settleing of the country and the resistance of the indians. it's a really interesting book, with good historical references and good storytelling.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this up mainly because I loved Kolpan's first book Etta, though this story sounded interesting. While I do think Kolpan has a talent for breathing light into people that history has not always remembered, in this case there was simply too much going on. The book bounced around following so many loosely related characters that you got an exposure to history but didn't necessarily get emotionally attached.

[Thomas S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good. I had no idea until I made it to the epilogue that the main characters were real, historical figures! Two Jewish cousins come to America. One becomes a world-famous magician, another becomes an interpreter for a Plains Indian tribe. Sounds like the start of joke you might hear at a bar. Jews and Indians? Oy vey, kimosabe. Sounds far-fetched until you meditate on the similarities of tribes facing extinction.

[Francine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this on the "librarians recommend" shelf at my favorite library. I'm now going to look for Kolpan's other novel. This one is historical fiction with great characters, stories, culture clashes, and an intersection of Jewish, Indian, Christian mysticism and religion. Some of the characters were stereotypes--but still seemed real.

[Neilie J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting. I'd never seen parallels between the way the Jews have historically been treated and the way the U.S. Government mistreated the native tribes but now that I have it's like, "Duh!" An interesting story with some compelling characters. I don't think this is a story that'll stick with me long term but I enjoyed it while it lasted.

[Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book fairly hard to get into and follow, especially for the first half. The second half picked up quite a bit and I enjoyed that a lot more.

It's a fictional, but historical tale, featuring great tales of magicians and Native American life around the turn of the century. A fun read.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed reading this crazy tale. Lots of lovable and not so lovable characters,intrigue, magic, and murder with a dash of Yiddish thrown in to keep you on your toes. Even more impressive, is that its based (somewhat)on actual events.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a crazy mix of western history and mistreatment of native americans. quirky characters, intrigue, romance and the world of magic. Based on historical events it involves 2 amazing men, one fighting for love and freedom,the other living for mystery and magic.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A potpourri of characters from the late 19th century, most of the main ones historical, with a few invented ones for spice. The title is quite descriptive of the story. Fast-moving, maybe slightly overcooked, but a tasty stew.