The Melancholy Fate of Capt. Lewis

The book tells parallel stories, one of Bill Lewis, 21st century clinically depressed high school history teacher; the other of Meriwether Lewis, one half of the famed explorer team, Lewis and Clark. In fact, the modern-day Bill Lewis is writing a book about Meriwether Lewis and is focused on discovering whether the first Lewis' death was suicide or murder, as he himself entertains more and more suicidal thoughts. That doesn't... Read Full Review

The Melancholy Fate of Capt. Lewis by Michael Pritchett was a fascinating, engrossing book. I looked forward to reading this book so much as this summer my husband and I took a trip following a northwest route, some of it following the same route taken during Lewis and Clark's famous journey. I stood at Cape Disappointment where Lewis and Clark stood, trying to imagine their reaction to what they saw. Almost impossible... Read Full Review

Focusing on the health, both physical and mental, of Meriwether Lewis during and after his twenty-eight-month exploration of the Louisiana Purchase, author Michael Pritchett shows the price paid by all the participants, especially by Lewis. Appointed by Thomas Jefferson to lead the expedition, which began in August, 1803, Lewis fought depression for much of his life, a condition which was not improved by the travails of the... Read Full Review

Bill Lewis is a high school history teacher with such a bad case of writer's block that it is taking over his life. Lewis is working on a biography of famed explorer Meriwether Lewis and knows that he needs to have his book in print before the impending 200th anniversary of Meriwether's death in order to maximize the impact of the book. But Bill has become so obsessed by the mystery of Meriwether's death just three years... Read Full Review

High school history teacher Bill Lewis decides to write a biography of his famous namesake Meriwether Lewis to be completed in time to meet the bicentennial anniversary of the renowned explorer's suicide, October 11, 1809. Bill researches Meriwether's interaction with the Burrs, father and daughter, who expected to become the empires of the west when they led the succession from the union. The modern day teacher studies... Read Full Review