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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Great book, loved it
I ordered this Gordon Rottman book knowing nothing about it or its author. Just that is was totally different from all the other fiction and nonfiction I’ve read over the past year. In other words, it was a gap filler, just to give me a break from my usual reading pattern. What I found was a pleasant surprise. It took a few pages to get used to the old Texas cowboy “slanguage”–a spell-checker’s nightmare. Then, I got caught up in the plight of Mexican teen, Marta, whose whole family had been murdered on the trail, leaving her as the sole survivor. Bud Eugen, the young cowboy who finds her agrees to escort Marta to town and find someone to take her in, But she refuses to leave his side, ever, even though he repeatedly insists, “She is not my woman.” Yeah, right!
Turns out this was a prize-winning Western novel in both 2013 and 2014. I can see why.
“Could not put it down”
Very good excluding abrupt ending.
Hadn’t read a cowboy book in ages and found this very moving.
Awesome book. Could not put it down then did not want it to end..so had to buy the next one right away! Also awesome
one of the best westerns I’ve read in quite sometime.
Couldn’t put the book down
Great book about ranch life along the Texas-Mexico border. I really enjoyed it and will read the sequels.
Very good story.
It’s been awhile since I’ve read a true Western. This book had it all! Cowboys, horses, scalpings, cattle rustling, kidnapping, shootouts, treacherous weather, daring rescues. The action lasted until the very end – I couldn’t put the book down!
The author made good use of dialectical speech. He had well developed characters that you came to truly care about. Bud and Marta seemed almost super human at times. They fought so hard to care for and protect each other making anything possible. Clay and Flaco were truly two if the “good guys”.
A story of good versus evil, there is tragedy and a lot of killing in this story. But there is also much loyalty, friendship, love, and hope. If you enjoy a well written, action-packed historical Western, then I highly recommend this book! (I can’t wait to read the next one!)
If you had described to me the plot of this book prior to my reading it, I probably wouldn’t have declined to read it. I try to steer clear of the syrupy relationship stories, but this story plot and relationship were so well woven into the entire episode that I enjoyed it immensely. A true page turner and my compliments to the author on this one. Think about the movie, “The Searchers”, with John Wayne
This was a great story. I don’t generally read stories of this genre
but this wasn’t a typical cowboy book. The characters, especially Bud, developed and grew as people over the course of the book.
Author knows his history of the border. Best western I read in long time! Highly recommend.
Gritty. Tough, Hard-nosed. Fast-paced! Believable
Great story with the characters and times to make it real. This is what the old west could have been like during this time period.
Marvelous western! A somewhat unlikely love story and a tribute to human endurance. I couldn’t put it down.
I really liked this book, the characters were interesting, and I will read more of this type western any time.
So many interesting details. Fast read. Addictive. Great story. Wonderful characters. I really loved this book. The author not only has a vast knowledge of the Texas border region and of Spanish as used there, but his writing is a delight to read. Highest recommendation for this novel.
Being a Texas gal and knowing this area of Texas, reading this cowboy tale, full of action, suspense and cowboy love, I enjoyed the story. It was hard to put the book down! I will definitely follow these colorful characters in the next books!