Most students of American history are familiar with "Custer's Last Stand" – the battle between U.S. forces led by Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer (1839-1876) and Native American tribes, which took place along the Little Bighorn River on 25-26 June, 1876. The fight was a decisive defeat for the cavalry, leaving 268 dead (including Custer) and 55 wounded. Few, however, are familiar with the life of Custer himself, or the circumstances that led up to the battle. Tatjana Soli takes on this complicated subject in her latest historical novel, The Removes, creating a fictional biography of Custer from his days as a Civil War hero to his death on the Montana plains.

The story is separated into three alternating parts. The main body focuses on Custer himself, using a wide range of historical sources such as letters and newspaper articles to form a portrait of the man, his ...