Wild West
It’s not all guns, horses and cattle. This charming collection of 11 American classic short stories of the West by highly respected and award winning author Kelton features tales of romance and rodeos, romance and cattle wars, bank robberies, debt collectors, child adoptions, sheriff elections and more, all with one common thread: romance. A throwback to the greatest westerns of the ’40s, ’50s, and ’60s, in literature, TV and films, the good cowboys are pure, clean and honorable and the bad guys are the epitome of evil. There are also lovable girls, even if their faces lack “a little of being pretty” and rugged Mexican vaqueros.
Every story is different, with memorable characters and great plots. Each reads quickly with no slow doldrums to divert the reader’s attention. There are multiple clever twists delivered in homespun prose and the author also illustrates the interesting technical intricacies associated with “cowboying.” Proving westerns never get old, I’ll use the author’s words in describing this immensely pleasing small book as “fresh as a new calf on a spring morning.” Very much recommended, and the romance works.
