Have you read Doc Susie – The True Story of a Country Physician in the Colorado Rockies?
All of it?

Through the years, I have found that many people skip right over the Author’s Note in the front of the book. As you think about the book, please read or reread it because it explains a lot about how I became interested Susan Anderson’s life. Because I met her when I was very young and she was very old, I was able to form a good idea of her character. First impressions count - I gathered that the woman was quiet, a bit prickly, didn’t suffer fools gladly, and would do almost anything for a free meal!

I regret that it didn’t occur to me earlier to write about Fraser’s country doctor, because I would have gathered more stories. But if I had waited any longer, the facts of her life would have perished. In the late 1980’s more myth than fact surrounded her exploits. One transient newspaper editor, who should have known better, actually asked me, "Is it true that Doc Susie and Eisenhower had an affair?" Of course President Eisenhower came to Fraser to fish for trout in the 1950s when Susan Anderson was in her eighties. So closely was he guarded by the Secret Service, that it is improbable that they even met.

After urging from members of the Grand County Historical Association, including my sister-in-law Jean Miller, I decided to try my hand at a biography. I knew I had no time to waste. It seemed that every month pioneers were dying, taking precious memories with them. Three times in 1987, I returned to the Fraser Valley from my new home in California with the avowed intent of talking to every long-term resident I could find who was over the age of 80. A few prospective informants were reluctant, but others were bemused. As one lady said, "You mean that was history? I thought it was just stuff that happened." I was able to schedule quite a few interviews in the county as well as on the Front Range where many retirees had migrated. Sadly, some of my most helpful contacts died within a few weeks of my interviews.

A strange thing happened while I was doing library research and interviews. I had the strong feeling someone was standing behind my shoulder, urging me to look a little harder, to ask just one more question. Items – such as her letters and some newspaper articles – seemed to appear out of nowhere.

The beauty, history and lore of Grand County play no small part in the book. I have strong ties to the area stretching back to 1945 when my family, the Millers, camped for a month on the upper reaches of St. Louis Creek. In 1946 they began building Idlewild Inn at the edge of the village then known as Hideaway Park. In the summer, one of my youthful chores was to accompany guests who were brave enough to drive their cars over the bone-rattling railroad ties on the Rollins Pass roadbed. Other times, I was lucky enough to accompany noted railroad historian, the Rev. Ed Bollinger, on some of his rambles above timberland. I loved trains.

A few of the stories in the book came directly from my memory. One of the characters, the locomotive engineer George Schryer, was a friend. He told thrilling tales of days when the railroad went "over the top." He was also a fiddler; in the 40s and 50s barn dances were still popular and I loved them. Locals and dudes assembled for an evening of strenuous stomping.

Much later, my time as owner/editor of the Winter Park Manifest proved invaluable. So intense was the weekly rush to meet deadlines that I failed to see what a valuable trove of knowledge I was amassing. Not only did I know the territory, I knew many of the people who would help me when I decided to write Doc Susie.

My book is not an historical novel. Nor is it a traditional academic biography, employing formal language and footnotes. Rather, I deliberately chose to tell the story, to heighten suspense when I related what I considered to be the most exciting and meaningful episodes of Doc Susie’s life. My in-depth research into Colorado, railroad and medical history has proved solid because the book is approved for many school reading lists across the State. Again, some examination of the Author’s Note will be helpful.

Since it came out fourteen years ago in 1991 it has been reprinted 14 times by my company, Manifest Publications. For seven years it was also licensed to Ivy Ballantine, a division of Random House; over 65,000 of their mass market edition were sold. The total number of copies is somewhere over 100,000. In book circles, Doc Susie is now considered an "evergreen" book. That is, it sells about the same number of books every year and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. I was a little embarrassed when I realized that I probably made more money from her life than she ever did. But I also think she would be grateful to be remembered.

I am tremendously honored that Doc Susie has been chosen as the One Grand Book for 2005. I am looking forward to meeting readers at various scheduled library events, but it is my hope that you will discuss the book with neighbors and friends on an ongoing, informal basis. To me, Susan Anderson, M.D. personifies the tough and rough paradise that is Grand County.