TOMORROW'S HIDDEN SEASON

by George Byram ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 29, 1964

This is a Colorado novel in the folksy, noble tenor reminiscent of Steinbeck's peons, a bit sentimental, sententious and rife with those spiritual values novelists like to attribute to primitives. As the title indicates, this is a story of growth, awakening and, eventually, of striking out on one's own. Alfredo Ortega, 14, who is illegitimate, lives with his mother in a shack on a beet farm. His great joy is to sneak onto nearby Burridge Horse Farm and ride the horses in the manner his grandfather taught him, with gentle mastery. He has, in fact, an extraordinary intuition for horses. When Alfredo's mother is murdered by an unrequited lover, Sam Burridge takes Alfredo on as a working hand and substitute son. The foreman, Andy Kincaid, is a Mexican hater and a great tension develops between them while Alfredo learns the ways of the white man's world. Meanwhile, Alfredo has charge of developing the colts. As time passes, Alfredo becomes foreman, is taken under the erotic wing of Burridge's mistress (who kills herself) and discovers as much of his true nature as possible in the world of horse breeding. The background and characters are authentic, and the author gets into Alfredo like a cat into a sock.

Pub Date: July 29, 1964

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: New American Library

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 1964

Categories: FICTION