. . . a mill does not turn upon water that is past, nor does a ship sail with the winds of yesterday. I had my own name to make. The story of that pirate Talon—well, that was his story.
If you know the name Louis L’Amour, you know he is arguably the most prolific author of Westerns, having sold over 200,000,000 copies of nearly one hundred titles from the Forties to the Eighties. If you know me, you know that formulaic fiction is not my usual fare. But I’m on vacation, and this book was free for the taking.
What makes it unique, in my mind, is the fact that despite it’s being a western, the action never moves further west than St. Louis, the frontier of the 1820’s. When a Pittsburgh-bound Quebecois shipwright discovers a murder near the American border, and is befriended by a pirate, adventures ensues as they make their way through New England for the first half of the book. Despite the many fisticuffs, the sassy ingenue who is especially fetching when angry, and the treasonous villain who covets the entire Louisiana Purchase, this is fun historical fiction. I enjoyed the tavern scenes, the sensitive portrayal of the Indians and pioneers, and the sprinkling of French. This is a quick read (151 pgs.) that would appeal to all ages.
To learn more about Louis L’Amour, watch this brief author interview