The Texas-Mexico border, the winter of 1886—The Great Die Up. A raw rift separates Mexicans and Anglos. A loner cowpoke and a mute Mexican girl fight man and nature to reunite.
Out of work cowpoke Bud Eugen comes across Marta, a mute sixteen-year old Mexican girl whose family has been killed by Indians. Bud reluctantly takes her along, even though he’s never had to accommodate another person in … another person in his simple life. He’s unable to find anyone willing to take her. In spite of his prejudices, Bud grows to like the spunky girl (and her excellent cooking).
Eventually, they both find work on a border ranch. Here, the relationship between the girl and the young cowboy hesitantly grows. But banditos raid the ranch, kidnapping the rancher’s daughters and Marta. Bud, with twelve other men, pursue the banditos into the most desolate reaches of Mexico. Ambushes and battles with banditos, Rurales, and traitors are constant, and the brutal weather is as much a threat as the man-made perils. Life and death choices are made at every turn as one side gains the advantage, then the other.
The rancher’s daughters are rescued, and the exhausted party turns back. But Bud presses on alone, against insurmountable odds – determined to fulfill an unspoken promise to Marta.
Western Fictioneers Peacemaker Award for Best Western Novel 2014 Western Fictioneers Peacemaker Award Finalist for Best First Western Novel 2014 Western Writers of America Spur Award Finalist for Best Traditional Western Novel for 2013
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Very easy to read.
Kept you guessing until the end .
Great story that moved right along
I am not normally a reader of western fiction but this one was surprisingly good. Held my interest to the end.
This is a good read. Worth my time.
Good story
Outstanding book! A rare western that places you in the shoes of the main character, a cowboy who rescues an Mexican child after her family is slaughtered by Indians. Expect subsequent books to also be good!
Well written, believable and entertaining.
A good story but very graphic violence.
Loved it
I do not read westerns, as a rule, but I enjoyed this venue and the story was entertaining, unpredictable, and easy to read with wonderful characters.
This is a wonderful read. Such inspiring characters. A good look at the real life in the 1800’s. A tragic story about abuse of women but with a great ending. This story will stay with me for a long time. I will definitely look for more books by Gordon Rottman.
This was one of the best Westerns I have ever read. Right up there with Jodi Wales. Very interesting characters. Interesting plot. Quirky characters and relationships. I loved the dialogue. Could say more about the dialogue, but I don’t want to issue a spoiler alert. It is a really good book to read. I have read all three in the series.
This is an unusual book in that it does not romanticize the old west: it is full of dirty, ignorant and violent characters. Even the main character is a barely literate cowpoker who doesn’t know much about life, women or culture beyond his tough life experiences which have taught him honor and perseverance with an unflagging work ethic.
He is appealing in his very simplicity as he comes to realize that he’s grown attached and finally in love with an unlikely mute girl.
The story is full of politically incorrect views and a lot of racism towards Indians and Mexicans but that is also part of its gritty realism even though it will make you wince.
It is a tribute to the power of endurance and love.
I was surprised but pleased the book was written as the characters spoke. A little challenging at first but it did add to the realism of the story.
The book follows the lonely life of a wrangler in search of a winter job. Rustlers stealing cattle from the ranches has cost him his job of the last few years. Times are hard.
In his travels he comes across the bodies of a Mexican family who have been savagely butchered. Later he finds a young girl wandering the road, who most likely is the only survivor of that family but she is mute and only her eyes reveal the horror. Our hero takes pitty on her as he attempts to find her a safe place.
I wasn’t sure I was going to like this book but I finished it and did enjoyed the read. In many ways the weather is a challenging character determined to conquer both the outlaw rustler and our hero.
Great story that certainly didn’t go where I expected when I first started reading it.
A bit slow but well worth the reading, a great story of growing of age.
Too long and foul language.
This is an outstanding work of historical fiction set in the cattle country of Texas-Mexico in the late 1800’s. Believable and well developed characters, plot and overall setting. Highly recommend if you love western based historical fiction with plenty of action and multi-dimensional, realistic storyline.
Wonderful read. Love the characters