I’ve been a fan of all things western for as long as I can recall. However, my fascination with John Henry “Doc” Holliday began in 2007 when longtime friend and fellow WaterBrook author Tracey Bateman convinced me to slip away from the International Christian Retail Show and visit the Margaret Mitchell House Museum.
There I first heard the details of the story behind Gone With the Wind. The tale of Ashley and Melanie becomes more poignant in light of the real-life family members Mitchell used as models. According to docents at the museum, Ashley Wilkes was inspired by Doc Holliday, Mitchell’s cousin by marriage, while Melanie was based on Margaret’s third cousin (and Doc’s first cousin) Mattie “Sister Melanie” Holliday.
Because the church refused marriage to first cousins, Doc and Mattie’s love was denied them. Doc went west, some say as much to heal his heart as to heal lungs scarred by tuberculosis, known as consumption. Word reached Doc that Mattie had joined a convent. Throughout his life, Doc wrote letters to Mattie. Upon her death, those letters were burned, so no record of what Doc and Mattie shared remains.
It is in this void of information that I set Anna’s story. While I made every attempt to check details against the known history of the outlaw dentist, there are also gaps in time where Doc is unaccounted for. In addition, there are instances where only a second (or possibly third) man could have committed the crimes for which Doc Holliday was accused.
Like Anna Finch, I hope you find Doc Holliday unforgettable.