Jessilyn Harney had to divide her love between her failing father and her rebellious brother. When her father died, her twin goals were to hold on to their ranch and to find her brother Noah, who has become one of the most wanted outlaws in several states.
Jess, who narrates her own story, realizes that a teenage girl is vulnerable, and so as she takes on the task of tracking down her brother, she assumes the persona of a young man.
Life on the frontier in the 1880's was harsh and violent, and Larison builds a world that reflects the difficulties with remarkable detail.
While there are gunfights, saloons, and brothels as is many books in the Western genre, Larison's development of Jess manages to reconstruct the typical tropes through Jess's first person narrative.
Noah Harney is also an intriguing character, and Jess's love for him, which becomes more clear-eyed as the story proceeds, is an engrossing part of Jess's journey. Noah, a charismatic leader, is a mixture of positive and negative; Jess must accept that her brother has feet of clay.
It's a long book that immerses you in the details of hard-scrabble lives and has epic proportions. It isn't Lonesome Dove, but in spite of turning so much of the typical Western on it's head, Larison has created a world with the same scope.
Again, thanks Les, for this recommendation.
Purchased.
I do like a good western. And I love the idea of this one being narrated by Jess. She sounds like a great character. :)
ReplyDeleteI found the book fascinating. Jess is not a character that I'll forget.
DeleteI haven't read a western in years. This sounds like a good one for the winter reading list.
ReplyDeleteLarison is a skilled story-teller, and the story and characters are memorable.
DeleteI don't read many westerns, but this one sounds really good. :)
ReplyDeleteJess is an amazing character, but this book never avoids the down and dirty details of frontier life.
DeleteWow...I'm really glad to get news about a new Western. Those are so rarely reviewed anymore - and they get so little respect - that I'm going to look into this one as soon as I finish this comment. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteWhile not the typical Western, the details of the land and the people create a reality of what life was actually like. Dirt floors and outhouses and hunting for survival and no running water. There are callous, corrupt, and charismatic characters as well as unexpected kindness and friendships. Humans are always the same, but the environment, both physically and socially, is unique.
DeleteThis is a book I won't soon forget. I think Jess is a great character and I'm excited to see that the book is in development for a tv series. I really must read Lonesome Dove!
ReplyDeleteI won't forget Jess either and so much of the writing was so vivid, I have plenty of images that are memorable as well. Lonesome Dove is excellent!
DeleteI don't know it a western is for me, but Jess is such a cool character!!
ReplyDeleteI wonder how the hardships of the West would compare to those of the early Australian settlers.... What a life those men and women faced settling vast amounts of land in a harsh climate.
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