Western novel, “Cherokee Trail” by Louis L’Amour
Louis L’Amour is the king of westerns; with many of his dozens of books turned into movies or TV shows*. He turned the wandering of his early years into the vivid stories that have lasted for decades. His many adventures introduced him to many captivating people, and he filled his books with unforgettable characters. Unlike some western writers, he knew that the west was made by both men and women and some of his books tell the women’s stories as well as the men’s. One such book is Ride the River which continues the Sackett saga with Echo Sackett from Tennessee. Another is Cherokee Trail, the story of two women surviving and thriving in Wyoming during the height of the Civil War.
Mary Breydon is a typical woman facing difficult problems. Her plantation in Virginia has been destroyed by the War Between the States. As she and her husband head west to start a new life, he is murdered leaving her alone to care for herself and their young daughter. Her only choice is to take the job her husband had accepted, running a rough and tumble way station on the rugged Cherokee Trail. With the help of a young woman in need of a job, and a variety of friends she finds a home in the untamed west.
All she wants is to run a successful business and provide for her family, but there is danger she must face. Her husband’s killer is using lies and money to gain power among the community. At first she has no desire to endanger herself or the people at the station, but when the killer discovers who she is and how she can ruin him, he brings the fight to her. With her back against the wall she faces her fears and does all she can to stop this man before he can harm anyone else.
Is Cherokee Trail worth reading? I think that any Louis L’Amour book is worth a try, but no fan of western fiction would be disappointed by this book. Humor, adventure, loyalty, and deceit – all that and more can be found between these pages.
*One of the long running TV shows was Five Mile Creek that ran three seasons starting in 1983 on the Disney Channel. It was based on Cherokee Trail.
ALL THINGS WEST! 