Bull by the Tale
This book is an anthology of eight short stories about the American West from Spanish colonial days to the present. Two stories tell of men with weaknesses, especially in their relationships with women, resulting in problems that complicate their lives. Three stories feature miners looking for lost treasure; another is about an illegal immigrant who travels across the border from Mexico looking for work. One story, the one I liked best, is about two Spaniards who leave Spain for the new world looking for adventure. The last story is a fantasy about what would happen if famous western characters, such as Wyatt Earp, return to the town of Tombstone in the 21st century and find a world different than the one they left.
John Duncklee knows the West and its people, and has written other books about this part of the United States. As a reader of short stories, I didn’t find anything exceptional about this book. Yet it was a quick read, and if you enjoy short stories you may like these eight tales.
