Week 11 - Western Annotation - Lonesome Dove

 

Author: Larry McMurtry

Title: Lonesome Dove

Genre: Western

Publication Date: June 15^th, 2010

Number of Pages: 864

Geographical Setting: Texas and Montana wilderness

Time Period: late 19^th century

Series (If applicable): Yes; Lonesome Dove saga (1^st in the series)

Plot Summary: It’s a love story. An adventure. An epic journey on the frontier and a tale of two aging Texas Rangers, Gus and Call, Gus’s woman Lorena, and in the dusty little town of Lonesome Dove in Texas who take to the range on one last adventure, and the cast of characters they meet along the way, including Gus’s woman Lorena and a conniving Indian renegade name Blue Duck. From heroes and outlaws to whores and ladies, Indians and settlers, it’s a dramatic tale of love, heartache, and the beautiful yet harsh Texas wilderness that becomes a character all its own.

Subject Headings: Fiction – Westerns – Cowboys – Literary fiction

Appeal:

-         Richly authentic or detailed – details enrich these stories, sometimes focusing on a special body of knowledge (e.g. forensics, music, history, etc.).

-         Lush ­– Descriptive language evokes the senses, making readers feel as if they are experiencing what is being described

-         Large cast of characters – whether because of sprawling storylines, epic scopes, or intricate plots, these books contain lots of characters – how well readers get to know them depends on the author

3 terms that best describe this book:

-         Melancholy

-         Strong sense of place

-         Gritty

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

Many of these works of fiction and non-fiction came from Goodreads, NoveList and a generic Google search. This was a good subject to look for both fiction and non-fiction as there are many works of both available to patrons and those interested in all aspects of the Wild West, whether dealing with outlaws, women who become great leaders, Native American history, etc. They are stories of truth, color, prophecy, lessons and the harsh yet beautiful land known as the American West.

3 Relevant Non-Fiction Works and Authors

1.      Blood and Thunder: An Epic of the American West by Hampton Sides

A book about how the West was really won, Sides takes readers through the eyes of an illiterate mountain man by the name of Kit Carson who understood and had great respect for the Navajo tribe but willingly followed orders that would ultimately destroy the nation. Fueled by Manifest Destiny, soldiers and settlers came from all over looking for new ways of life and prosperity and decided they would take the land by any means necessary, even if those means end with the death of old ways of life.

2.      Frontier Madam: The Life of Dell Burke, Lady of Lusk ­by June Willson Read

The tale of a broken but powerful woman who saw opportunity during key moments in time: the Alaskan gold rush, copper mines in Montana, and oil fields in Wyoming to provide entertainment to the lonely men who came from around the country looking to strike it rich. She reigned over the Yellow Hotel brothel in Wyoming for over six decades and though she was looked down upon for her profession, she was best remembered for her generosity and contributions and devotion to the community she serviced.

3.      The American West by Dee Brown

Dee Brown spins a woeful tale filled with tragedy and triumph in The American West throughout the late 1800s into the turn of the century as settlers traveled west to lay claim to land not their own, settling the land, and ultimately destroying the Native American ways of life as they imposed law and order. Brown takes readers through the world of cattle trading and the lives of the immigrants that followed. The novel features a wide cast of characters including Wyatt Earp, Wild Bill Hickok, Oliver Loving, Buffalo Bill, Dull Knife, Crazy Horse, and more.

3 Relevant Fiction Works and Authors

1.      A Good Man by Guy Vanderhaeghe

A former soldier and son of a Canadian lumber baron journeys to the untamed borderlands between Canada and the U.S. to escape secrets from his past where he falls in love with the beautiful and recently widowed Ada. Unfortunately for our dear Wesley, her disturbed lover takes action when the government unleashes a final assault on the Indians, determined to claim Ada as his own. It’s a story of love, retribution, and rebirth.

2.      All The Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy

Last in the long line of Texas ranchers, All The Pretty Horses tells the tale of John Grady Cole who sets off an adventure to Mexico with two others in search of a new dream after being cut off from the only life he’d ever imagined. It’s a story of heart, grit, determination, challenges, and of course, as with every great story, love.

3.      Far As The Eye Can See by Robert Bausch

A story of life, finding a path to one’s own humanity, and a war of survival, Far As The Eye Can See tells the story of Union veteran Bobby Hale who, after the war, journeys from Wyoming to the Black Hills of Dakota on his way to California, only to make it as far as Montana before stopping. Along the way he meets a cast of characters in places where every minute is about survival, and how people find their own paths to humanity amidst heartbreak and struggle.