I've had this book on my Kindle for PC for a few months, but hadn't got around to reading it until now. I thought Ron Scheer had written a review of it but I went back through his blog posts and couldn't find it. I knew that he could do a much better review of it than I could, because he had a really nice way with words, more formal yet not, just a great use of the English language. The book cover still shows on the front page at his Buddies in the Saddle blog. I followed him up to the end and am sure sorry he is no longer with us.
Anyway Elisabeth Grace Foley is a fine writer of short stories that she tells with grace and charm, even though some of them in this book are action-packed and bloody. She tells and show us the feminine side of life in these hard times of the West. The women had to endure much hand-wringing and worry over the men they loved and this is brought out in the final story, Wanderlust Creek. There are women in the other stories, but the woman in this one is more fully described in showing the type of life some women had to live through. This story is at the end of the lot.
The first story is Single-Handed, about a gunslinger that has a messed up gun hand from a fall that broke his wrist and must face an up and comer gun slick who challenges him. Does he live or die?
The Rush at Mattie Arnold's is a completely different type of story, being the tale of a small town cafe owned by Mattie and showing the daily routine she and her daughter goes through feeding and dealing with their clientele, both humorous and serious at the same time.
A Search for Truth is a story of cattle rustlers and ordinary men and women caught up in it. A fine story.
Another fine one is The Mustanger's Bride. Can a mustanger make a good, settled-down husband or not? Her father doesn't think so, but she ain't goin' to give 'im up.
Room Service is an interesting story of disagreement between father and son. I knew the young man was in trouble when he checked into the hotel and just had to keep reading to find out what was going on.
Ms. Foley writes historical fiction and the Mrs. Meade Mysteries series. Her favorite authors she says on her profile page are O. Henry, B. M. Bower, Booth Tarkington, Jane Austen, Agatha Christie, Leo Tolstoy, Mary Stewart, P. G. Wodehouse, A. A. Milne, and Angela Thirkell. You can read her blog at www.thesecondsentence.blogspot.com.
Sounds interesting, I have read quite a bit from several of her favorite authors, think I will go over to her blog and take a look, it sounds familiar, I may have been there before, but have not read any of her work.
ReplyDeleteIt's an informative blog. This book is all I've read of hers, but I may have to read more.
ReplyDeleteThese sound pretty good. I'll have to check 'em out. I just finished a collection of western tales, The Arizonans
ReplyDeleteI'll take a look at it.
DeleteThey're excellent titles. If the stories match up to them, they'll be good.
ReplyDeleteOh, they do and are.
DeleteI believe this was the last (or one of the last) books Ron was reading before he passed. So he never got a chance to do a summary. I reviewed a Elisabeth Grace Foley book for Criminal Element and think she's a sharp new talent and highly recommend her work. Good review, Oscar.
ReplyDeleteThanks, David!
Delete