Appaloosa

Author: Robert B. Parker

Title: Appaloosa

Genre: Western

Publication Date: 2005

Number of Pages: 276

Geographical Setting: “untamed territories of the West”

Time Period: 1800s

Series (If applicable): 1^st of the Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch Series

Plot Summary: Renegade rancher Randall Bragg and his men have been living off the citizens of the small Western mining town of Appaloosa “like coyotes live off a buffalo carcass.” After Bragg kills the last marshal and deputy, Appaloosa’s aldermen hire town tamers Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch to restore order in the town. Things seem OK after Bragg’s trial, but some twists, turns, and deception threaten the peace Cole and Hitch have brought to Appaloosa.

Subject Headings: Deputy marshals; Wanderers and wandering; Honor in Men; Ranchers Men – Friendship; Fugitives; Escaped convicts; Gunfighters; Outlaws; Small town life – The West (United States); Gunfights; Manipulation by women; Men/women relations; Cole, Virgil; Hitch, Everett

Appeal: Fast-paced, Atmospheric, Strong sense of place, Gritty, Hard-edged, Well-drawn characters, Familiar, Cinematic, plot-centered, Details of old West, Spare, Homespun,Witty

3 appeal terms that best describe this book: Fast-paced; Atmospheric; Gritty.

3 Relevant Non-Fiction Works and Authors

Wallis, Michael. Billy the Kid: The Endless Ride. “Both the facts and the legend pick up in 1877, when Henry—already known to some under the alias Kid—shot a man who was bullying him and began a life on the run. Wallis’s reconstruction of the Kid’s exploits is engrossing. But even more, Wallis (Route 66 ) shows Billy the Kid as a product of his era, one of profound social dislocation. Billy the Kid was, indeed, only the most legendary of a generation of ‘desperate men’ who knew how to handle a gun. Wallis, the host of PBS’s new American Roads , writes clean prose, occasionally enlivened by a particularly lovely turn of phrase (“the liquid rustle of cottonwood leaves”). The writing style of Billy the Kid may appeal to reader’s who enjoyed Appaloosa‘s spare but witty dialogue.

Guinn, Jeff.  The Last Gunfight: the real story of the shootout at the O.K. Corral—and how it changed the America West. “Describing the many social, political and other forces that set the stage for the gunfight (including new edicts regarding arrests and carrying guns), Guinn details the historic events of the cold afternoon of Oct. 26, 1881: drunken outlaw Ike Clanton’s wild threats against Wyatt Earp and Holliday; Virgil’s attempt (together with his brothers and Doc) to disarm Ike and his cowboy buddies; and the 30-second exchange of gunfire that left three cowboys dead. Just the facts—and still a great story” (Kirkus).  Like Appaloosa, The Last Gunfight is a fast-paced and compelling read that looks at lawmen who make laws and decisions that may straddle the line between right and wrong.

Tefertiller, Casey. Wyatt Earp: The Life Behind the Legend.  “Using a wide variety of primary sources, Tefertiller manages to summon up a human, complex figure and, while not omitting flaws, to persuasively demonstrate that Earp believed in the law and did his best in hard times to defend it. A great adventure story, and solid history” (Kirkus). Though fictional, Cole and Hitch also believe in and do their best to uphold the law, though all three are flawed characters.

3 Relevant Fiction Works and Authors

Estelemen, Loren – Aces and Eights is the “dramatic account of the death of gunfighter Wild Bill Hickok and the trial of Jack McCall, the man hanged for the murder of Deadwood’s legendary marshal” (NoveList). Like Appaloosa, Aces and Eights is a fast-paced, atmospheric Western that revolves around a murdered marshal.

Leonard, Elmore.  Hombre features “John Russell, a young man nicknamed Hombre by the Apaches who raised him, has a deadly confrontation with a determined gang of stagecoach robbers” (book description).  Leonard and Parker both write Mysteries and fast-paced, atmospheric and gritty Westerns with a darker mood.

Kelton, Elmer – Texas Standoff: a novel of the Texas Rangers. “Newly married Texas Ranger Andy Pickard and his new partner, Logan Daggett, investigate a series of murders and cattle thefts in central Texas, a task complicated by a gang of masked vigilantes and the appearance of a notorious gunman” (NoveList). Both Appaloosa and Texas Standoff are fast-paced and atmospheric with a strong sense of place that center around two lawmen partners.

Ally C.

The Tall Stranger

Author: Louis L Amour

Title: The Tall Stranger

Genre: Westen

Publication Date: 1957

Number of Pages:126

Geographical Setting: Western United States

Time Period: Oregon Trail/Wild West

Plot Summary: Much like the other works of Louis L’Amour, this story concerns traveling to the Western United States in order to find a better life. Rock Bannon, a dedicated but solitary man finds himself heading west with a group of men from the East, none of which trust him. The group is lead by the charismatic and devious Mort Harper, who quickly becomes leader of the group, even though Rock does not trust his motives. As they move further from the tail Rock knows will lead them to a better life, he questions the morals and decision making of Mort and must decide whether to venture on his own or help his fellow travelers, including the beautiful Sharon.

Subject Headings:

Wagon trains — Oregon Trail
Pioneers — The West (United States)
Outlaws — The West (United States)
Frontier and pioneer life — The West (United States)

Appeal: Plot-driven, action-oriented, fast-paced, gritty, close-ended, details of western life, colloquial, unembellished, hard-edged, recognizable characters, physical, violent, cinematic

3 Appeal Terms that Best Describe the Book: plot-driven, gritty, fast-paced

Similar Authors and Works (why are they similar?):

3 Relevant Non-Fiction Works and Authors:

Cowboy Life: Reconstructing an American Myth – William W. Savage Jr.

This book discusses the image of the cowboy in popular American culture, from the Western novel to the cinematic masterpieces and advertisements.

Famous Gunfighters of the Western Frontier: Wyatt Earp, Doc Holiday, Luke Short and Others – W.B. Masterson

Deals with the history of some of America’s most interesting  cowboys and gunslingers and the men behind their  infamous names.

The Oregon Tail: A Photographic Journey – Bill Moeller

This book is comprised of photographs of The Oregon Trail, both of how it looks now and how it looked to emigrants to the West. It includes entries from diaries of those traveling on the trail during the 1800s.

3 Relevant Fiction Works and Authors:

A Town Called Fury – William W. Johnstone 

Features stand-offs with Native Americans, an attack on a westward travelling wagon and a revenge plot of one man dedicated to right the wrongs done unto his family.

Last Reville – David Morrell

A fast-paced novel in which a talented scout on the Mexican border fights to eradicate Pancho Villa from the US while becoming a mentor to a young man.

War Cry – West Charles

A gritty yet romantic story in which scout Will Cason saves a woman and finds himself the enemy of a group of Native Americans determined to destroy him.

Name: Courtney Rose

Tomboy Bride

Author:  Harriet Fish Backus, foreword by Pam Houston.
Title:  Tomboy Bride: A Woman’s Personal Account of Life in Mining Camps of the West
Genre:  Western; Nonfiction.
Publication Date:  1969
Number of Pages:  306
Geographical Setting:  Telluride, CO; British Columbia; Idaho; and Leadville, CO
Time Period:  Early 20^th Century
Series (If applicable):  N/A
Plot Summary:  Harriet Fish leaves her comfortable modern life to follow her high school sweetheart to the heights of the San Juan Mountains in Colorado.  This endearing true story details what life was like for the wife of a miner at the end of the glory days of the old west.  The story truly begins in the Tomboy Mines, high up above Telluride, CO.  There is only one road between Tomboy and Telluride and during winter it’s barely wide enough for two riders to pass each other.  The adventures that the young couple faces at the Tomboy mines are just the beginning of their story.  They face floods and fire in British Columbia, isolation in Elk City, Idaho and deadly storms and claim jumpers in Leadville, CO.  Through it all, it is the love that Harriet and George have for each other and their family that sees them through. This is a story about female relationships, daily struggles, survival, adventure, and love.

Subject Headings:  Western; Nonfiction; Colorado; British Columbia; Idaho; Mining; San Juan Mountains; Rocky Mountains; 20^th Century; High Altitude Cooking.

Appeal:  Endearing; leisurely-pace; densely written; funny; real; human and animal struggles; female relationships; character-centered; descriptive settings; straightforward; women; romantic; western; nostalgic; historical details.

3 appeal terms that best describe this book: descriptive settings; female relationships; historical details.

3 Relevant Non-Fiction Works and Authors:
A Lady’s Life in the Rocky Mountains by Isabella Lucy Bird.  This is the story of a woman who travels through the Rocky Mountains unaccompanied in the 1870s, her remarkable story is captured in her letters back to her sister in England.
Ghost Towns of the Mountain West: Your Guide to the Hidden History and Old West Haunts of Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Nevada by Philip Varney.  This book provides maps, descriptions, and stories of ghost towns throughout the West.  Those who enjoyed reading about the mines from the perspective of someone who lived at that time might enjoy reading about what they’ve become.
Silver Queen: The Fabulous Story of Baby Doe Tabor by Caroline Bancroft.  Bancroft tells the true story of the 2^nd wife of Horace Tabor, a tale about a woman who had it all and lost it all.

3 Relevant Fiction Works and Authors:
My Ántonia by Willa Cather.  The classic story of an immigrant who must make her way in the American West.  There is an emphasis on the female characters; this is a love story, coming of age novel and a western.
Woman of the Frontier by Zane Grey.  The story of the struggles and hardships of a pioneer family trying to survive in Arizona.  Depicts strengths, struggles, and weaknesses of women trying to make it in the West.
These is my Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine by Nancy Turner.  Turner tells the story of an uneducated pioneer woman who, against all odds, educates herself and learns how to survive and thrive in the “wild west”.                       Name:  Jessica Lake

The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint

Title:  The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint

Author:  Udall, Brady

Publication Date:  2001

Number of Pages:  423

Genre:  Western

Geographical Setting:  The American West (mostly Arizona and Utah)

Time Period:  Modern setting, but otherwise unspecified date.  Spans first approximately thirty years of Edgar’s life.

Series:  N/A

Plot Summary:  At the age of seven, Edgar Presley Mint has his head run over by a mail truck.  Half Apache and half white, the story of Edgar Mint begins with his miraculous recovery in the hospital.  Abandoned by his alcoholic mother and crazed grandmother who give Edgar up for dead, Edgar is orphaned and sent to live at an Apache reservation school for delinquents with an old and distant uncle.  At the school, Edgar’s otherworldliness, introversion, and inability to socially mingle immediately type him as an outcast.  Armed with a typewriter and a dum-dum loving friend named Cecil, Edgar learns how to survive against the cruelty of children and the ignorance of adults while never losing his innocent yet perceptive outlook on life.  Edgar is then discovered and converted to the Mormon religion by two missionaries and is sent to live with a foster family in Utah, where he again struggles with the concepts of family, love, pain, and growing up.  The story is told from Edgar’s point of view, using alternating first-person and third-person perspectives.  The novel chronicles the life of Edgar from age seven until approximately age thirty, focusing on the years from 7-15 as Edgar encounters hardship after hardship, yet never completely losing faith that the miracle of his survival happened for a reason.  This is a beautifully written, picaresque novel that depicts the very unique character of Edgar Mint, a boy who doesn’t seem to fit anywhere yet tries with all his might to find the one place that he does.  Winner of the Spur Award (best novel of the American West) in 2002, it is thought-provoking and revealing, addressing real issues of Native Americans in the contemporary west, and emotionally engages the reader with Edgar’s quest from page one.

Subject Headings:  Apache Indians; Arizona; Head wounds and injuries; orphans; foster home care; boys; coming-of-age; Mormons; alcohol and drug abuse; families and family dysfunction; reservation schools; hospitals.

Appeal:  character centered, coming-of-age story, single point of view, linear storyline, emotionally engaging, moderately paced, picaresque, Dickensian storytelling, funny, heart-breaking, detailed setting, conversational, multicultural, quirky character, thoughtful, hopeful.

3 Terms that best describe this book: Emotionally engaging, funny, thoughtful

3 Relevant Authors and Works (Fiction): The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti (also features young, disabled protagonist on a journey to self-discovery).  The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain (adventures of a young boy growing up in a specific racial climate). The Misadventures of Silk and Shakespeare by Winfred Blevins (coming-of-age story that takes place in the West, humorous tone like certain parts in Edgar)

3 Relevant Authors and Works (Nonfiction):  Addie  by Mary Lee Settle (a nonfiction memoir that recounts the childhood of a young girl in the Kahawha Valley of West Virginia during the Great Depression); Oh what a slaughter: massacres in the American West, 1846-1890 by Larry McMurtry (recounts the slaughter of Native Americans in the West, authored by prolific and well-respected Western writer); Sitting Bull by Bill Yenne (documents the life of Sitting Bull, starting from his youth).

Name:  Rebecca C.

Butcher’s Crossing

Author: John Edward Williams

Title: Butcher’s Crossing

Genre: Western / Literary Fiction

Publication Date: 1960

Number of Pages: 240

Geographical Setting: Kansas / Colorado

Time Period: 1870s

Plot Summary: Naïve college boy Will Andrews flees his Harvard education for the wide open spaces of the West, where he hopes to find himself. In the Kansas frontier town of Butcher’s Crossing, Andrews hooks up with a hunter named Miller and ends up bankrolling a buffalo hunting expedition to Colorado. Andrews, Miller and the two other men in their crew endure an arduous journey, from survival mode in the wilderness to the ugly process of killing and skinning buffalo. After a point it becomes clear that hunting buffalo is not just an occupation for Miller, but a dangerous obsession—and Andrews is thrown into personal turmoil as his romantic notions of the West and nature are shattered by the grim reality of their journey.

Subject Headings: Western stories; Revisionist westerns; Buffalo hunting; Frontier life; Coming-of-age stories; Man vs. nature

Appeal: austere, cinematic, coming-of-age, descriptive, detailed, evocative, gritty, intense, physical, realistic, relaxed pace, strong sense of place, vivid

3 appeal terms that best describe this book: descriptive, gritty, physical

3 Relevant Non-Fiction Works and Authors:

1) The Border and the Buffalo by John R. Cook [Memoir by an actual buffalo hunter that gives a detailed, first-hand account of the buffalo slaughter that occurred in the western territories during this time, as well as other descriptions of frontier life]

2) Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer [Idealistic young intellectual tries to brave the wilderness]

3) The Buffalo Hunters: The Story of the Hide Men by Mari Sandoz [Densely packed history of plains buffalo hunters]

3 Relevant Fiction Works and Authors:

1) The Morning River by W. Michael Gear [Both a western and a coming-of-age story; about a naïve Harvard idealist who faces gritty hardship in the west; realistic, descriptive, detailed]

2) Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy [Revisionist western, also about a massacre (of Indians rather than Buffalo) and the harshness of wilderness; gritty, intense, descriptive; Butcher’s Crossing often cited as precursor to this novel]

3) Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry [Western about an arduous journey; relaxed pace, gritty, descriptive]

Name: Brian W.

Off the Mangrove Coast

Author: Louis L’amour

Title: Off the Mangrove Coast

Genre: Western, Adventure

Publication Date:  June 2000

Number of Pages: 277

Geographical Setting: Various settings including American West, a Parisian Café, and small town fight clubs

Time Period: Varies due to short story format

Series: N/A

Plot Summary: Collected short stories. The premise of all stories is men and women fighting for justice and their dreams when the odds are far from favorable. The reader gets to experience many different adventures in one book.

Subject Headings: Adventure stories, war stories

Appeal: atmospheric, hard-edged, dramatic, action-oriented, detailed setting, well-crafted, cinematic, violent, intriguing, suspenseful, hopeful, dangerous

3 terms that best describe this book:

Adventurous, detailed, Gritty

Similar Authors and Works:

3 Relevant Non-Fiction Works and Authors

1.         Call of the Wild: My Escape to Alaska- by Guy Grieve

The author felt trapped and at a dead end. He hated his job as well as his commute. The author tells his story of moving to Alaska and the adventure that followed.

2.         Gifts of the Wild: A Woman’s Book of Adventure- another collection of short stories this time featuring women. This is the opposite of Off the Mangrove Coast because it focuses mainly on female characters but the theme is still adventure.

3.         The Edge of the Sea- Rachel Carson

This book explores the sea. The reader gets to explore the sea through the words eyes of the author.

3 Relevant Fiction Works and Authors

1.         The Jungle-Clive Cussler

A story filled with action and adventure about the crew of the ship the Oregon. The crew encounters many trials and obstacles as they continue on  their rescue mission. This is another tale of survival that readers of Off the Mangrove Coast can enjoy.

2.         Bad Luck and Trouble- Lee Child

Murder, action, and adventure drive this book .A man is killed and the character Jack Reacher is on a mission to find out the truth.

3.         Edge- Jeffery Deaver

The action begins when police detective Ryan Kessler becomes a target of a “lifter”.  He and his family are immediately put under the protection of Corte. The question of Corte’s loyalty drives this suspenseful story.

Name: Juanita Fisher

The Chili Queen

Appaloosa

Author:  Robert B. Parker

Title:  Appaloosa

Genre:  Western

Publication Date:  2005

Number of Pages:  276

Geographical Setting:  The town of Appaloosa, western United States

Time Period:  late 1800’s

Series:  Book 1 in the Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch series

Plot Summary:  In the lawless Old West town of Appaloosa, ranch owner Randall Bragg and his ranch hands take and do pretty much whatever they please.  Sharpshooters and guns for hire Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch are called in to tame Bragg and his hands.  West Point graduate Hitch and the mysterious Cole set up shop as town marshals and quickly establish a reputation as men not to be messed with, attracting the interest of manipulative town newcomer Allie French.  Just as Cole and Hitch seem to have everything under control, Bragg kidnaps Allie French and uses her to get under the skin of the usually calm and collected Cole.  The conflict between Cole, Hitch and Bragg culminates in an action that speaks to the nature of true friendship.  In Appaloosa, well-known mystery writer Parker crafts a gritty and action-packed look into the Old West, complete with cowboys, Indians, and showdowns.

Subject Headings:  Western fiction; frontier and pioneer life; ranchers; peace officers; outlaws

Appeal:  fast-paced, gritty, plot-driven, atmospheric, dramatic, dialect-rich, spare, concise, unembellished, vivid, recognizable characters, stereotypical characters

3 terms that best describe this book: fast-paced, gritty, spare

3 Relevant Non-Fiction Works and Authors: 

Draw: The Greatest Gunfights of the American West by James Reasoner: Readers who like tales of lawmen versus outlaws will enjoy Reasoner’s fast-paced and engaging look at famous shoot-outs.

Famous Gunfighters of the Western Frontier: Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, Luke Shot and Others by W.B. Masterson: A collection of vivid mini-biographies on adventurous and well-known Old West personalities that were originally published as magazine articles in 1907.

Tough Towns: True Tales from the Gritty Streets of the Old West by Col. Robert Barr Smith: If readers enjoyed the lawless setting in Appaloosa, they might enjoy reading these accounts of small towns that fought back against gangsters and renegade gunslingers.

3 Relevant Fiction Works and Authors

Crossfire Trail by Louis L’Amour:  Wanderer Rafe Caradec promised dying rancher Charles Rodney that his property would be left to his daughter, but when Caradec reaches the Wyoming ranch, he finds that other greedy ranchers have sent their sights on the land.  Crossfire Trail is a fast-paced, dialect-rich and action-packed story.

The Gunfighter’s Apprentice by Jerry S. Drake (Book 1 in the Tom Patterson series):  After killing the brother of a deadly gang leader in an act of self-defense, Matt McKay’s father hires a former gunfighter by the name of Tom Patterson to teach him how to
properly handle a weapon.  As Matt and Tom’s student/mentor relationship strengthens, they prepare for the final showdown.  Readers who appreciated Parker’s atmospheric and gritty western will enjoy The Gunfighter’s Apprentice.

The Lawman by Lyle Brandt (Book 1 in the Lawman western series): Gambler Jack Slade returns to Oklahoma to investigate the mysterious death of his estranged brother.  During his search, Slade is recruited as a deputy marshal and as a result, grapples between justice and revenge as the pieces fall into place.  Spare and fast-paced, this book will appeal to first-time and veteran
western readers.

Name:  Mieko Fujiura

Telegraph Days

 

Author:  Larry McMurtry

Title:  Telegraph Days

Genre:  Western Stories : Humorous stories

Publication Date:  2006

Number of Pages:  289

Geographical Setting:  Rita Blanca, Dodge City, Oklahoma Panhandle

Time Period:  1876-1916

Series (If applicable):

Plot Summary:

Marie Antoinette Courtright, better know as Nellie, is a flirtatious, take charge girl who moves with her brother to Rita Blanca after the death of her father.  In one day, she gets her brother appointed to deputy and becomes the telegrapher of the town.  Her brother makes the town famous by killing the six Yazee brothers by pure luck.  With her quick thinking and entrepreneurial sense, she writes a dime magazine that puts Rita Blanca on the map and allows for the introduction of famous characters of the Old West such as the Wyatt brothers, Buffalo Bill, and Jesse James to name a few.  Nellie encounters multiple gunfights and has many sexual romps with whoever meets her fancy and lives to write about and sensationalize the West in movies.

Subject Headings:  Buffalo Bill, Wyatt Earp, Small Town life- the West, Telegraph-19^th century, Outlaws

Appeal:

Character-driven, gritty, descriptive, relaxed, humorous, easy, romp, historical details, strong sense of place, dialect rich, small town life, flawed

3 terms that best describe this book:

Character-driven, gritty, descriptive

Similar Authors and Works (why are they similar?):

3 Relevant Non-Fiction Works and Authors

Buffalo Bill’s America Louis S. Warren (Buffalo Bill, main character in the novel)

The Victorian Internet: the remarkable story of the telegraph and the

            nineteenth century on line pioneers Tom Standage (History of the telegraph)

Hurray for my new free country Leon Charles Fouquet (First person view of living on the plains)

3 Relevant Fiction Works and Authors

Ghost Town Robert Coover (Humorous, story of a small town and outlaws)

End of the drive Louis L’Amour (Stories of men/ women relationships, humorous, stories of the old West)

The adventures of Johnny Vermillion Loren D. Estleman (Story of outlaws, set in a humorous tone)Leaving Missouri Ellen Recknor (strong female character, coming of age in West)

Name:  Sara Bartels

 

West of Dodge

Author: Louis L’Amour

Genre: Western

Publication Date: 1996

Number of Pages: 226

Geographical Setting: Old West

Time Period: 1860-1910

Plot Summary: A hero rides into town and finds himself in the middle of a plot to kill the town sheriff; a young man, looking to get rich during the gold rush, happens upon a widowed mother and her teenage daughter trying to make it on their own; A reckless bank robber and a hardened Texas Ranger square off in a shoot-out that will find one man lying dead in his grave. These and many other action-packed short stories make-up this thrilling saga of the Old West.

Subject Headings: Cowboys; Gunfights; Old West; Westerns; Bank Robbers; Cattle Thieves; Frontier; Adventure Stories; Short Stories

Appeal: Detailed settings, folksy, action-oriented, nostalgic, impassioned, unpretentious and foreboding tone, historical details of the old west, intriguing heroes, natural and simplistic language

Three Words or Phrases Best Describing this Book: Detailed setting, heroic main character, action-oriented

Similar Authors and Works

3 Relevant Non-Fiction Works and Authors

Saloons of the Old West by Richard Erdoes (history of the saloons of the old west, includes stories, songs, legends, and photographs)

Men of the West : life on the American frontier by Cathy Luchetti (an account of the lives of the pioneers of the American frontier, includes memoirs, letters, and diaries of cowboys, townspeople, doctors, homesteaders, and many more)

Lawmen of the Old West : the good guys by Del Cain (biography of several lawmen who stood up for what was right during the days of the Wild West, includes historical accounts of gunfights and hunts for outlaws)

3 Relevant Fiction Works and Authors

That Buzzard from Brimstone: A Western Quartet by Dan Cushman (focus on action and setting over characterization, heroes vs. villains, short stories)

The Guns of Navarone by Alistair MacLean (non-stop action, strong and courageous male heroes who explore complex settings)

Shadow of the Moon by Douglas C. Jones (historical detail, adventure/action-oriented, exploring new frontiers)

Name: Tara Bauer