I have read some of this author's other works and this one is good as well. It was a little long but I think it went because of the story. Takes you from Boston to El Paso and the building of a ranch in the West to then the man's son taken by Pancho Villa. A good book.

I almost didn't try it because of the Gump debacle (great movie from a horrible profanity laced book) but this one seemed a better effort from him. Give it a good read

Immediately upon starting this book I kept asking myself one question.


I loathed the book of Forrest Gump (calm down.. the movie was awesome) so I think I fell to that old trap of just loving a cover and not putting any other thoughts into why I'm reading a book..and ended up with this stinker.

I'll learn one day not to do that. Because this was a long- hard- boring -ass book. It's the story of mainly Arthur. He grew up in an orphanage until he somehow lucks up at the age of eight and is adopted by a rich couple and swept off his feet. He never dreamed of getting to lead the life of a railroad tycoon's son. That railroad tycoon likes to piss through money though and Arthur grows up to have mostly a job of keeping them out of the poorhouse. Not that they really even get close. But it's hinted at.

Arthur's father or the 'Colonel' ends up realizing his land in Mexico (that he bought dirt cheap) is under attack by Pancho Villa. His beef is being stolen and eaten and he is not going to stand for it. He loads up his wife and Arthur's family and they head into the unrest. Once there the Colonel decides to drive his cattle back to the US to keep them from ending up in the uprising's tummies. After he and Arthur leave..Pancho Villa comes to the ranch and takes Arthur's two children hostage.

So now there is an epic chase to get them back.

Save your time is what I say. There are many random characters through out the book that I couldn't give two craps about and none of the characters felt real. They all felt like cardboard cut-outs of what the book could have been.
There is lots of violence so I kept reading the stupid thing hoping it would all tie together and make some kind of sense. AND that's another thing..THIS STUPID THING IS LONG! If you are going to write a big old puppy squisher at least make me not get all ticked off about all the time I wasted reading this. EIGHT FRIGGING HOURS!

Then the icing on the cake was..I think the author just wove in political views that felt timely to try and make it more interesting. He didn't realize that if you are like me you are FREAKING TIRED of being beat over the head with politics. I'm almost aggravated with this stupid book enough to one star it. BECAUSE IT SUCKED!!

Now they will probably make a movie of it and make thousands of dollars. I'm not buying it. I'm sticking with the true western epic of all time. (and the best book ever for the two of you that haven't been book pushed into reading it yet)


Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.