Honor Thy Father

by Robert A. Roripaugh

One of the most acclaimed Western novels of the past fifty years, Robert A. Roripaugh's masterful story of range war and its victims on both sides of the fence transports readers back to 1889 Wyoming with a rare power, richness, and truth. It is a gripping tale of ranchers and homesteaders; of honored tradition holding brutally firm against the onslaught of changing times; and of a family torn to pieces by opposing visions of what is right. Brimming with intense action and characters who will live on in memory, Honor Thy Father is an evocative depiction of a place and time when greed and pride helped stain the land red, when principles were defended to the death, and when a man’s most dangerous enemy could be his own flesh and blood.

Genres: Westerns

288 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 1, 2004

Reviews

[Violet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a terrific in depth story of the conflict within a family (father and two sons) trying to run their ranch in the early days of settling in Wyoming. The main bone of contention is with the "Association" of other ranchers made up of a mixed lot of power seekers, bad guys, and good guys just trying to keep out the rustlers, but also anyone else who doesn't meet their standards. A great read.

[Michael Morrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Greedy ranchers fighting about land, opposing sheep and one another, might seem an over-used plot device, but author Roripaugh makes brand-new use of it.
In this generally excellent book, there are divisions and oppositional positions aplenty, even among family members.
One of the worst people, and one who doesn't see himself at all in the wrong in his fighting anyone and everyone who doesn't snap to his directions, is -- as in real life -- a politician.
There are many characters and many situations and many conditions to further complicate the plot and story, and a reader will be drawn more and more into the story.
Robert A. Roripaugh is a new author to me and I intend to find more of his books, hoping they will equal this one in interest and ability.