A modern take on the Western novel, driven by well-defined characters and a plot both spirited and sweeping.
A farming family endures and thrives in Texas during the second half of the 19th century.
In this debut Christian historical novel, Ricotta tells the story of the Caldwell family, beginning with patriarch Mason’s departure to fight for the Confederacy in 1861. Mason’s wife, Lydia, and the Caldwell children keep the farm going until Mason returns from war, severely wounded. The postwar years are a time of physical and emotional healing as Mason recovers from his injury and reconnects with his now-adult children. The family expands as neighbors and in-laws become integral parts of the Caldwell circle. The Caldwells face challenges, from violent criminals to a corrupt sheriff and Mason’s war wounds, but triumph over their obstacles through love and faith. Elements of Texas history, particularly the founding of the postwar Texas Rangers, drive much of the story, along with classic elements of the Western, including settlers headed toward the California gold fields, an out-of-control gambler, and posses chasing both justice and vengeance. The cast of characters is notably diverse, including the son of an American missionary and her Chinese husband, a half-Cherokee man looking for a fresh start in ranching, a former slave who helps Mason come to terms with his injury, and a beautiful girl determined to fend for herself from her wheelchair. The depictions are not without their missteps and stereotypes (“He had never been able to get close to anyone because of constant rejection as a half-breed”; a gay character is welcomed only if he remains celibate), but they bring a modern vibrancy and variety often missing from stories of the settling of the West. While the use of dialect can be excessive (“It sure would be grand if’n I could find a gal so fine and have a dandy party like this”) and the prose uneven, the fast-moving plot and compelling characters keep the reader engaged and balance out the limitations of the narrative.
A modern take on the Western novel, driven by well-defined characters and a plot both spirited and sweeping.Pub Date: March 11, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-5127-3132-3
Page Count: 354
Publisher: Westbow Press
Review Posted Online: July 5, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
These letters from some important executive Down Below, to one of the junior devils here on earth, whose job is to corrupt mortals, are witty and written in a breezy style seldom found in religious literature. The author quotes Luther, who said: "The best way to drive out the devil, if he will not yield to texts of Scripture, is to jeer and flout him, for he cannot bear scorn." This the author does most successfully, for by presenting some of our modern and not-so-modern beliefs as emanating from the devil's headquarters, he succeeds in making his reader feel like an ass for ever having believed in such ideas. This kind of presentation gives the author a tremendous advantage over the reader, however, for the more timid reader may feel a sense of guilt after putting down this book. It is a clever book, and for the clever reader, rather than the too-earnest soul.
Pub Date: Jan. 1, 1942
ISBN: 0060652934
Page Count: 53
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 17, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1943
Hoffman (The Red Garden, 2011, etc.) births literature from tragedy: the destruction of Jerusalem's Temple, the siege of Masada and the loss of Zion.
This is a feminist tale, a story of strong, intelligent women wedded to destiny by love and sacrifice. Told in four parts, the first comes from Yael, daughter of Yosef bar Elhanan, a Sicarii Zealot assassin, rejected by her father because of her mother's death in childbirth. It is 70 CE, and the Temple is destroyed. Yael, her father, and another Sicarii assassin, Jachim ben Simon, and his family flee Jerusalem. Hoffman's research renders the ancient world real as the group treks into Judea's desert, where they encounter Essenes, search for sustenance and burn under the sun. There too Jachim and Yael begin a tragic love affair. At Masada, Yael is sent to work in the dovecote, gathering eggs and fertilizer. She meets Shirah, her daughters, and Revka, who narrates part two. Revka's husband was killed when Romans sacked their village. Later, her daughter was murdered. At Masada, caring for grandsons turned mute by tragedy, Revka worries over her scholarly son-in-law, Yoav, now consumed by vengeance. Aziza, daughter of Shirah, carries the story onward. Born out of wedlock, Aziza grew up in Moab, among the people of the blue tunic. Her passion and curse is that she was raised as a warrior by her foster father. In part four, Shirah tells of her Alexandrian youth, the cherished daughter of a consort of the high priests. Shirah is a keshaphim, a woman of amulets, spells and medicine, and a woman connected to Shechinah, the feminine aspect of God. The women are irretrievably bound to Eleazar ben Ya'ir, Masada's charismatic leader; Amram, Yael's brother; and Yoav, Aziza's companion and protector in battle. The plot is intriguingly complex, with only a single element unresolved. An enthralling tale rendered with consummate literary skill.
Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4516-1747-4
Page Count: 512
Publisher: Scribner
Review Posted Online: April 5, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2011
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