I read this long ago and I have it (in an omnibus edition with several other L'Amour books...I have a few other omnibus editions). This will not appeal to some of you, it will not appeal to some who have liked other books we agree on. But I like it. I was introduced to L'Amour's books at a time when I had limited access to books. I found that in general I like his work.

Louis L'Amour is probably best know for his westerns and his best known westerns are probably the ones that have to do with the Sacketts. This book isn't strictly speaking a western as it takes place in the "frontier era" of the United States. It sets up all the stories that come later. It gives us the background of the Sackett family, where they "come from" and how they ended up in America. Later in the more overtly "western" books we see the family in the Eastern mountains of Tennessee and how they move west. This is a well done story and snatches the interest very quickly.

Those who tend to look down on L'Amour without actually reading him ought to try his work. He is actually a talented writer who traveled and gathered up a wealth of experience which later he used in his writing.