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Indian Country: A Novel
Indian Country is a sweeping, brave, and compassionate story from Phlip Caputo, Pulitzer Prize-winning author one of our most acclaimed chroniclers of the Vietnam experience.
“Terrifying, heart-breaking and dead-true, Indian Country . . . goes far beyond anything I have encountered in the literature of Vietnam." —Tim O'Brien
Christian Starkmann follows his boyhood friend, an Ojibwa Indian called Bonny George, from the wilderness of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where they roamed, hunted and fished in their youths, to the wilderness of Vietnam, where they serve as soldiers in the same platoon. After returning home from the war, his friend buried on the battlefield he left behind, Christian begins to make a life for himself. Yet years later, although he is happily married to June, a good-hearted social worker, and has two daughters, Christian is still fighting--with the searing memories of combat, with the paranoid visions that are clouding his marriage and threatening his career, and most of all with the ghost of Bonny George, who haunts his dreams and presses him to come to terms with a secret so powerful it could destroy everything he has built.
“Terrifying, heart-breaking and dead-true, Indian Country . . . goes far beyond anything I have encountered in the literature of Vietnam." —Tim O'Brien
Christian Starkmann follows his boyhood friend, an Ojibwa Indian called Bonny George, from the wilderness of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where they roamed, hunted and fished in their youths, to the wilderness of Vietnam, where they serve as soldiers in the same platoon. After returning home from the war, his friend buried on the battlefield he left behind, Christian begins to make a life for himself. Yet years later, although he is happily married to June, a good-hearted social worker, and has two daughters, Christian is still fighting--with the searing memories of combat, with the paranoid visions that are clouding his marriage and threatening his career, and most of all with the ghost of Bonny George, who haunts his dreams and presses him to come to terms with a secret so powerful it could destroy everything he has built.
432 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1987
About the author
Philip Caputo
31 books335 followersAuthor and journalist Philip Caputo died on May 7, 2026, from cancer at his home in Norwalk, Connecticut. He was 84. Best known for his Vietnam War memoir "A Rumor of War", he also shared a Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting during his tenure at the Chicago Tribune.
He served as a U.S. Marine Corps lieutenant and was among the first American combat troops deployed to Vietnam. His experiences there, shifting from patriotic idealism to deep disillusionment, were the basis for his memoir.
Following his military service, Caputo transitioned to a career in journalism. Working as a foreign correspondent and investigative reporter for the Chicago Tribune, he covered conflicts globally, survived being held hostage by Palestinian militants, and was shot in Beirut. He later covered the fall of Saigon in 1975 before retiring from daily reporting to write 19 books, including the acclaimed novel "Horn of Africa". Caputo is survived by his wife, Leslie Ware, his sons, Geoffrey and Marc, and three granddaughters.
He served as a U.S. Marine Corps lieutenant and was among the first American combat troops deployed to Vietnam. His experiences there, shifting from patriotic idealism to deep disillusionment, were the basis for his memoir.
Following his military service, Caputo transitioned to a career in journalism. Working as a foreign correspondent and investigative reporter for the Chicago Tribune, he covered conflicts globally, survived being held hostage by Palestinian militants, and was shot in Beirut. He later covered the fall of Saigon in 1975 before retiring from daily reporting to write 19 books, including the acclaimed novel "Horn of Africa". Caputo is survived by his wife, Leslie Ware, his sons, Geoffrey and Marc, and three granddaughters.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
December 14, 2020
When I was a child, it felt like every book I read was a masterpiece. Felt like every book I read was changing me, even if I didn’t understand in what ways those changes were taking place.
Since then, it’s harder to have that feeling. It can feel like I really like a lot of books, but at a distance; it’s a lot harder for them to reach inside me now and take hold of something.
This book is one of the few that has.
I understand Starkmann and the way he sees the world. I understand June and how she sees it too. So does Caputo. He makes brave choices, interesting choices. Every character is likeable, deceitful, frustrating. He shows love in its lustful state and well as it’s thorny and barbed state. He shows love in its relationship to others, and the way we strive to have a purer love for ourselves.
He shows how the present exists on a precipice, threatening to teeter from the weight of the past at every opportunity. He shows how the future can be something always out of reach.
There are moments when I felt the book might buckle, and there is an act Starkmann commits near the end of the novel that pretty much derailed any sympathy I had for him. This is the one part where I felt the book took a slight misstep. But all the books I love have imperfections. I suppose that’s the same with anybody.
It’s a book I’m never going to forget. After I’d finished, I was reminded of what Wawiekumig thinks after he takes part in one of the fall Midewewin ceremonies: I am not as I was before.
I think so too.
Since then, it’s harder to have that feeling. It can feel like I really like a lot of books, but at a distance; it’s a lot harder for them to reach inside me now and take hold of something.
This book is one of the few that has.
I understand Starkmann and the way he sees the world. I understand June and how she sees it too. So does Caputo. He makes brave choices, interesting choices. Every character is likeable, deceitful, frustrating. He shows love in its lustful state and well as it’s thorny and barbed state. He shows love in its relationship to others, and the way we strive to have a purer love for ourselves.
He shows how the present exists on a precipice, threatening to teeter from the weight of the past at every opportunity. He shows how the future can be something always out of reach.
There are moments when I felt the book might buckle, and there is an act Starkmann commits near the end of the novel that pretty much derailed any sympathy I had for him. This is the one part where I felt the book took a slight misstep. But all the books I love have imperfections. I suppose that’s the same with anybody.
It’s a book I’m never going to forget. After I’d finished, I was reminded of what Wawiekumig thinks after he takes part in one of the fall Midewewin ceremonies: I am not as I was before.
I think so too.
October 6, 2020
I don't think I can say that I enjoyed this, and I'm not sure that I'd recommend it, but reading this novel was a very moving and sad experience. Caputo has written again about damaged and broken people, and his portrayal of PTSD, with Starkmann's nightmares, hyper vigilance, and paranoia, is particularly haunting.
That the story is set at a time when there was minimal understanding of and sympathy for mental health issues is also striking. Starkmann is ashamed of his mental trauma and symptoms, and the wider cast of characters agree that he is right to be, almost without exception. That sad fact only adds to the sense of isolation that permeates this whole novel. Starkmann is alone even when he is with others, trapped and unable to come to terms with the things he saw and experienced in Vietnam.
That isn't to say that he is an innocent sufferer; far from it. Starkmann is profoundly selfish, and there is an extent to which he wallows in his suffering and self-destructive behaviour. He also does some truly revolting things and acts shamefully towards those around him. Caputo has done a fabulous job of fleshing out Starkmann, and he is a character who inspires pity and disgust in equal measure. That kind of ambiguity is realistic and unsettling, and the supporting cast is also well drawn and believable (particularly June). The setting, Michigan's Upper Peninsula, is used to great effect. It is appropriately bleak and miserable, and the rampant unemployment, alcoholism and loneliness add a backdrop of mundane gloominess that is quite depressing. It's not somewhere that's on my travel bucket list, especially after reading this!
There were also a couple of aspects of the novel that I didn't like. Parts of the writing are unnecessarily graphic and crude, and I think that Caputo could have gotten his point across without all the salacious details. I was also a little bit disappointed by the ending. Redemption isn't evident at all in Caputo's previous books, and I don't think he portrayed it particularly well here. Given all that Starkmann has been through and the terrible things he has done, I'm sceptical that a hospital stay and some time in the wilderness are enough to wipe it all away. The pacing increased noticeably in the last third as Starkmann heads towards complete meltdown, but the tradeoff is that his restoration comes across as slightly trite and superficial. Maybe it's better to see the ending as a turning point, and a first step back towards the light, but it felt a little hollow.
Overall, this is a powerfully written and compelling novel, and it highlights the long-lasting effects of war on those we send to fight it.
That the story is set at a time when there was minimal understanding of and sympathy for mental health issues is also striking. Starkmann is ashamed of his mental trauma and symptoms, and the wider cast of characters agree that he is right to be, almost without exception. That sad fact only adds to the sense of isolation that permeates this whole novel. Starkmann is alone even when he is with others, trapped and unable to come to terms with the things he saw and experienced in Vietnam.
That isn't to say that he is an innocent sufferer; far from it. Starkmann is profoundly selfish, and there is an extent to which he wallows in his suffering and self-destructive behaviour. He also does some truly revolting things and acts shamefully towards those around him. Caputo has done a fabulous job of fleshing out Starkmann, and he is a character who inspires pity and disgust in equal measure. That kind of ambiguity is realistic and unsettling, and the supporting cast is also well drawn and believable (particularly June). The setting, Michigan's Upper Peninsula, is used to great effect. It is appropriately bleak and miserable, and the rampant unemployment, alcoholism and loneliness add a backdrop of mundane gloominess that is quite depressing. It's not somewhere that's on my travel bucket list, especially after reading this!
There were also a couple of aspects of the novel that I didn't like. Parts of the writing are unnecessarily graphic and crude, and I think that Caputo could have gotten his point across without all the salacious details. I was also a little bit disappointed by the ending. Redemption isn't evident at all in Caputo's previous books, and I don't think he portrayed it particularly well here. Given all that Starkmann has been through and the terrible things he has done, I'm sceptical that a hospital stay and some time in the wilderness are enough to wipe it all away. The pacing increased noticeably in the last third as Starkmann heads towards complete meltdown, but the tradeoff is that his restoration comes across as slightly trite and superficial. Maybe it's better to see the ending as a turning point, and a first step back towards the light, but it felt a little hollow.
Overall, this is a powerfully written and compelling novel, and it highlights the long-lasting effects of war on those we send to fight it.
November 17, 2014
I know that I read Caputo's A Rumor of War and am wondering why I didn't continue to look for his books. He's an excellent writer and Indian Country is a profound look into what war does to the men/women who fight. This one is about Viet Nam, but it can be applied to all wars, I think. It's a book that seeks redemption and in that it succeeds. The only flaw I found is that the end is a bit too tidy. I'm not sure healing (any healing) takes place this quickly or completely. But I "got" what he was going for and this is definitely worth a read, if like me, you are haunted by this subject. Lessons learned here can be used by all of us in our lives.
October 29, 2007
Excellent book. The overarching story is of a Vietnam vet sinking into insanity for 14 years after returning home from the war, then finally finding forgiveness and life. But it is so much more than that. It is about friendship, family - both blood and chosen, religion, Native American beliefs, ecology. Set in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Philip Caputo is a fabulous writer.
December 18, 2019
This is a moving story and I loved reading it. I was especially interested in how the author represents Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in his fiction and I was really impressed by it. I was looking for Vietnam as a country and Vietnamese people in the story but they are not there. Still, I would highly recommend this novel.
April 9, 2022
This book took me forever to read not because it is horrible but, because it is a "thinking" book Mr. Caputo writes a story of a man returned from war holding on to a heartache and a for him shameful secret. Chris Starkmann 11 years home from the Vietnam War can not escape the memories, he dreams, the trauma disrupting his life and the lives of those who love him. His wife June, his daughters' Lisa and Christine...it even affects his work and his ability to keep his job...He can not speak about it to anyone and as it spirals deeper and deeper into chaos Chris is about to lose everything he loves, everything he needs, and, everything he holds dear in his life. Powerful and compelling Mr. Caputo delves into the mind of a man suffering from post traumatic stress and from the chaos and fear brings Love Light and Healing. I'm very glad I stuck with it to the end.
June 24, 2018
Three parts to this book: PTSD from Vietnam, white indigenization ala LAST OF THE MOHICANS, and the birth of the New American Adam.
As narrative frameworks, those last two come with a lot of baggage, and Caputo does nothing to problmatize them. In fact, he appears compelled to revel in many of the anti-Indian stereotypes that appear here. I also don't think he's entirely aware of the degree to which he's doing it. And that's because, despite the amount of cultural erasure AND appropriation going on, I don't think he actually knows shit about the indigenous culture he's writing about with such assumed authority.
As narrative frameworks, those last two come with a lot of baggage, and Caputo does nothing to problmatize them. In fact, he appears compelled to revel in many of the anti-Indian stereotypes that appear here. I also don't think he's entirely aware of the degree to which he's doing it. And that's because, despite the amount of cultural erasure AND appropriation going on, I don't think he actually knows shit about the indigenous culture he's writing about with such assumed authority.
May 30, 2019
This is a powerful and sad book about Christian Starkman, who despite having an anti-war Lutheran pastor for a father, decides to join one of his best friends in Vietnam. There his best friend is killed and Christian returns to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan with PTSD and the majority of the book takes place there as he tries to live with his PTSD, causing all sorts of havoc for his wife and two daughters. Very little of the book takes place in Vietnam and only in short flashbacks as he tries to make sense of a tragic mistake that took place for him. It is a very powerful novel about the impact of PTSD on returning soldiers.
March 5, 2026
I wanted to like this book more, but it was too long and too detailed without escaping the almost predictable PTSD saga elements. A friend recommended it as being better than Hemingway which perhaps set the bar too high or maybe I have become jaded by the many other fine depictions from Crane on down. Ultimately, I appreciate the restraint and subtlety of Big Two Hearted River more than the explicit tragedy that Caputo deftly portrays.
October 17, 2018
Story of PSTD and the effects on a family.
December 14, 2020
The struggles of a Vietnam vet, very good read.
January 21, 2024
Not Caputo's best but still worth reading. 3.5
June 5, 2012
Very believable examination of post-traumatic stress disorder. While developing a very full and strong female character, June, Caputo incidentally describes a sexist legal system that conspires against women seeking child support. I also like the way he integrates Ojibwan tradition into the story. The UP is both repellent and beautiful--alcoholism, isolation, winters that last six months. Lots to think about, here. It's on a lot of "Novels with Vietnam War Themes" lists.
April 25, 2013
A very good read, but another difficult one. It's about what happens to vets (Vietnam in this case) when they return. Years after they return. There's a bunch of stuff in it about Native American traditions which I think it didn't really need, but the tale of the building breakdown is wonderful and terrible. There comes a point where I couldn't stop reading: had to know what would happen. Scary and very sad, but entirely convincing.
June 29, 2007
Starts slow, but it is a really intimate look at the trauma of returning from war. This novel is a real testament to what Vietnam soldiers went through during, and especially after their return from fighting. Set in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan it is a really moving portrait of one soldier's struggle to become whole again. Stick with it, it's a moving book.
July 9, 2012
The descent into madness of a Vietnam war veteran set in the U.P.( upper peninsula) of Michigan in the 1980's. I'm sure anyone from there would not be happy with his description of the people and what life is like there-pretty grim. The next to last page it was a little too late for the final plot twist but by then it didn't matter.
August 23, 2015
For me this is the novel that marked Caputo's arrival as a writer of quality fiction. While his previous novels made for a good read they were missing character development. For the first time, Caputo gives the reader characters of substance worth relating to and caring about.
August 30, 2019
I initially picked this book up because I knew it was partly set in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where I grew up. I ended up being knocked out by Caputo's writing, and now I'm wondering why I haven't read more by him!
August 21, 2009
A really good story of a vet, returned from Viet Nam to the Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Bleak, but beautiful.
Read
November 16, 2009Phil was a journalist in Vietnam. He earned a Pulitzer as the first journalist captured by terrorists in Beirut. This book says something about a guy back from Nam with some problems.
January 19, 2010
Only a few chapters in, but it's already apparent that Caputo understands the woods, their mystery, and what draws us to them like few other writers.
August 9, 2011
A powerful examination of war and its aftermath.
February 1, 2015
good read about a vet who survived when his best friend didn't.
January 28, 2017
A young man goes to Vietnam with a friend and is traumatized - most of the book follows him as a screwed-up adult. Not bad, but more phychologically gross than I prefer.
Read
April 24, 2017A fine novel, richly deserving of its place in the top echelon of Vietnam-war allegories.
Read
November 1, 2018outstanding. interesting characters and intriguing plot progress. seem real people. very credible but plot quite engaging.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews