LESLEY: NEWS OF THE WORLD BY PAULETTE GILES (2016)
This is historical fiction, set in Texas five years after the end of civil war. Captain Jefferson Kidd, fought in 3 wars previously. He’s a widower with three adult children and one grandchild. He’s a reading traveller bringing newspapers, and news to the locals to make an income. He is asked to return a 10 year old German girl, Johanna to her aunt and uncle. She was captured by Indians 4 years before, raised by them and is now deeply embedded in Indian culture. The journey is 400 miles long and eventually trust develops between Kidd and Johanna. The family think she is a savage, and they are hard and unforgiving. Lesley said it was well written, the main characters were likeable and well-drawn. The descriptions of the fledgling towns were interesting. The author shows developing respect for each other’s cultures and way of life. She said it was an enjoyable book.
ED: THE HIGH DIVIDE BY LIN ENGER (2014)
In 1886, Gretta Pope wakes one morning to discover that her husband is gone. Ulysses Pope has left his family behind on the far edge of Minnesota’s western prairie, with only the briefest of notes and no explanation for why he left or where he’s headed. His young sons, Eli and Danny set off after him. They end up in the rugged Badlands of Montana. Gretta is forced to follow them as she has little money. Enger’s portrait of the vast plains landscape is matched by the rich expanse of his characters’ emotional terrain.
JO: THE BLACK RIVER BY S.M. HULSE (2015)
Black River is a prison camp. The story is about Wes Carver, a former prison guard, a man marked by a prison riot, and the convict who shaped him. He is a talented fiddler who finds joy in his music but now his arms and hands bear the marks of torture. He returns to his Montana hometown to bury his wife and confront the inmate who, twenty years ago, held him hostage during a prison riot. Jo said it was a good story.
DIANN: TEN THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT THE OLD WEST BY ELIZABETH HANES
There are ten short stories. The main character in the first story wasn’t a cowboy but a producer who also acted in hundreds of films. He created the Bronco Billy persona. Thanks to a Winchester rifle we didn’t know Billy the Kid wasn’t left handed.
TAM: THE LAST BUS TO
WISDOM BY IVAN DOIG (2015)
Donald Cameron was raised by his grandmother who was a cook. When his grandmother had surgery in 1951, the 11year old Donald is shipped off to Wisconsin on a greyhound bus to Kate, his grandmother’s sister. She is nothing like her sister and sends him back to Montana. Kate’s husband, Herman the German has had enough and goes back to Montana with Donald. They help each other and have adventures. They are mad about cowboys and rodeo riders. Tam loved it. It showed the real America.
ROSEMARY: BAD DIRT BY ANNIE
PROULX (2004)
This is the second book in her Wyoming series. These are short stories set on Wyoming in the 1980’s. Rosemary didn’t enjoy it. She has read other books by the same author and liked them. She found the characters weird and it didn’t appeal to her.
SHEILA: BROKE BACK MOUNTAIN
BY ANNIE PROULX (1997)
Sheila found it had bad sex and was crude.
PAMELA: THE COMPLETE WESTERN STORIES BY ELMORE LEONARD (1975)
This is a book of short stories. Pamela read a few of them. She felt it was almost as if he was learning to write. He started writing in the 1950’s. His writing improves towards the end of the book and his style develops. Pamela felt the portrayal of the Apache tribes was a bit stereotyped. One of the stories “The Rancher’s Lady” was very well written. It was nice to dip into and Pamela found it a relaxing read.
KRIS: ALL THE PRETTY
HORSES BY CORMAC MCCARTHY (1992)
Cormac McCarthy was an American writer, well known for his unique writing style and graphic descriptions of violence. The main character is John Grady Cole, a young man who has grown up on the land, a survivor of long generations of Texas Ranchers. When his father gives up the ranch to his estranged wife, John loses his sense of direction. He takes off to Mexico with his best friend. He finds work on a horse property owned by a wealthy Spaniard. He loves horses and has a special affinity with them. He falls in love with the Spaniard’s daughter, but everything is about to change for him. I enjoyed this book, although I glossed over the violent episode. I may read the next two in the trilogy.
JUDY DE: THE BIG SKY BY
A.B.GUTHRIE JNR. (1947)
This novel was written in 1947, the first of six novels in Guthrie’s sequence dealing with the Oregon Trail and the development of Montana from 1930. Caudill, Deakins and Summers are the most memorable characters. Caudill has a longing for the blue sky and brown earth of big, wild places. He becomes a mountain man. Judy didn’t like the style of the book or the way it was written. It left her in a place where she didn’t know what happened.
JUDY J: RIDERS OF THE PURPLE
SAGE BY ZANE GREY (1912)
This is his best selling novel and has been called the most popular western novel of all time. It was also made into a popular film. It’s set in Utah in the Mormon settlement of Cottonwood. The story has three main characters, Jane Withersteen, wealthy owner and operator of the considerable Withersteen ranch. She sympathises with both the Mormons, her own people and the Gentiles which gets her into trouble with the local bishop and elders. The next character is Bern Venters, a non-Mormon employed by Jane. He is being persecuted by the local Mormons. He is determined to prevent the church taking her ranch. The third character is Jim Lassiter, a gunfighter who is also being persecuted by the Mormons. He becomes a bit of a love interest. Judy is only half-way through and probably won’t finish. The story involves cattle-rustling, horse theft, kidnapping and gunfights and a love interest, everything a good western would need. Judy found it a bit tedious.
PRUE: RED RIDERS OF THE PURPLE SAGE BY ZANE GREY
This book was published by Harper in 1912. The vintage is obvious by the words and
expression used. The damsel in distress,
young handsome man helping the damsel, evil men, and an older gunslinger
dressed in back is a theme for all his westerns. Prue liked the descriptions of country and she felt the characters balanced
each other well in a storyline that is believable and predictable. Zane Grey is
not a great writer but told great stories, popular in his time. Zane Grey's life is also an interesting read.
BEV: WANDERER OF THE WASTELAND
BY ZANE GREY (1923)
Bev wanted to read Zane Grey for sentimental reasons as her father read many of his books. Unfortunately, Bev didn’t enjoy it. The main character is Adam, a headstrong young man who accidentally shoots his scheming brother. He believes he has killed him and flees to the Rio Grande. He returns as he thinks it’s time to atone.
CONNIE: THE LONG STAR RANGER
BY ZANE GREY (1915)
Connie remembered her father read Zane Grey novels and Connie said she thoroughly enjoyed this one. She learnt a lot more about Texas. It’s the story of good young man, 23 years old. He’s a settler with a family and he kills a fellow in self-defence. He can’t afford a lawyer, so he becomes an outlaw. He is forced to move all the time as he is being pursued by a posse. He becomes the fastest gun in the west. Connie had been to Texas, so she really enjoyed the read.
ROSEMARY S: THE SISTERS BROTHERS BY PATRICK deWITT (2011)
Written in the first person, we follow the journey of the Eli Sisters alongside his brother Charlie as they accept a new job from the man known as the Commodore. The Sisters brothers are notorious hired killers in 1850’s America. Their journey takes them from Oregon to California. Charlie, the older and leader of the two, is a drinker and a lover of violence. Eli, on the other hand is sensitive, loves his brother, cares for his horses, does not enjoy killing people uselessly and is a man wanting to change. The plot is simple, some scenes are definitely not for the faint hearted. There are hilarious stories, touching moments and strange encounters. It’s the first western book Rosemary has read, and she was in two minds as to whether she was enjoying it or not. She found it a little slow but on the other hand she was waiting to see what would happen next.
JUDY A: THE SON BY PHILIPP
MEYER (2013)
This is a multi generational family saga. It’s the story of the McCullough family of Texas and really a history of Texas itself. It’s told through the eyes of three people, Eli, born 1836, his son Peter, and his great granddaughter Jeanne Anne. Eli made his fortune in cattle and oil, his son Peter is a gentle man and Jeanne is a strong woman. In 1849, when Eli is thirteen years old, and his father is away mustering cattle, a band of marauding Comanche Indians attack the homestead. His mother and sister are brutalised and killed. Eli and his brother Martin are captured. Martin dies soon after, but Eli is clever and brave, a survivor and eventually becomes the adopted son of the Comanche chief. He loves the freedom of this lifestyle. These chapters also give you great insight into the Indian lifestyle. As white settlers move further west and Indian lands are stolen, whole tribes are wiped out by diseases like smallpox. When Eli’s tribe is ravaged by smallpox and only a remnant remains, Eli returns to civilisation and the story continues. Judy gave it 5/5
PAT: OUTLAWED BY ANNA NORTH (2021)
This is Pat’s first western and it’s not a typical western. Adele is the main character. She is a 20 year old apprentice midwife in the 1800’s. Her mother is a midwife. Adele marries and is very happy, but she has not fallen pregnant after one year. Husbands were able to kick their wives out if they did not fall pregnant, so Adele’s mother planned for her to meet an older man in secret, in the hope she would fall pregnant When she still doesn’t fall pregnant, she gets kicked out. Her mother arranges for her to go to a convent to keep her safe as women who didn’t fall pregnant could be accused of being a witch. She eventually becomes a member of the Hole in the Wall gang, an all-female gang where most of the members are barren outcasts.
Kris
November is Non Fiction November - Choose your own
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