The book "Medicine River," deals with the main character's quest for a home. Will, who is the main character, goes through many events in his life that effect his quest.
             The book is written in a different, but effective way. It flows from Will's current life to Will's past life in separate paragraphs continually throughout the book. This style of writing is very effective because each paragraph flows into one another. The novel begins with Will reading a letter that his father has written to his mother. The paragraphs switch back and forth from the letters to where he actually is for the first couple of chapters. Will's father is on the professional rodeo circuit and is no longer apart of Will's or James's life, who is the younger brother of Will. Rose, Will's mother, keeps the letters that her husband writes in a chest and does not show her sons any of the letters. Rose does not want her husband to be any part of her sons lives or any part of her own. The letters clearly note show in an indirect way that he does not want to pay any child support and he continues to make up excuses about where his money is going. Will does not realize, but it is easy to tell that his father is not a role model.
             In Will's life in the present time he is attending his mother's funeral in Medicine River. He runs into all of his old friends, namely Harlen Bigbear, who wants Will to move back to Medicine River to be the only native photographer of the town. Will was currently living in Toronto at the time of his mother's death. Will travels back to Toronto but soon realizes that there is not that much there for him and he travels back to Medicine River, where Harlen Bigbear meets him at the airport.
             Harlen plays an important role in Will's search for a home. He shows him the ins and outs of the community in which he is so greatly apart of. Harlen makes him apart of th...