Sun Going Down

by Jack Todd

Part history, part romance, and part action-adventure novel follows the fortunes of Ebenezer Paint and his descendants - rough and tough individuals caught up in Civil War river battles, epic cattle drives through drought and blizzards, the horrors of Wounded Knee, the desperation of the dust bowl, and the prosperity of the roaring 1920s.

The cast includes a grizzled Mississippi steamboat merchant, two horse-thieving brothers, five Annie Oakley-like sisters who can outride any cowboy, a half-Sioux bride who demands her new family claim her heritage, and a courageous daughter who defies her father and braves the West alone. The Paint family must battle both internal and external elements, and learn to live with spirit and wit.

Letters and diaries from the author's own family archives form the basis for all the events and characters for richly detailed authenticity and deep emotional power. Reach spans Vicksburg up through Montana and the Dakotas, four generations from the Civil War to the Great Depression.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Westerns

467 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Brian Wilde · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book tremendously. It would be a good idea to not judge this book by its cover. This book is written in a style that puts it beside great writers of yesterday and today. Jack Todd can craft a beautiful sentence and tell a story that makes you love the characters. I am not particularly interested in ranching and that is why I say don’t judge it by its cover. Though it may have western themes, the heart of the book is people. The characters are alive and you are too reading about them.

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and recommend it to any reader who enjoys Western life and family sagas.
This novel follows three generations of the Paint family struggle through 70 years from Mississippi to the Dakota Terratory. The hardships and struggles of the Paint family will keep you glued to the book. During the Civil War, Ebenezar Paintnd marries Cora,and they have twin boys, Eli and Ezra. Ebenezer chases riches,and by 15, the boys are orphans and cowboys—and involved in a risky but profitable bit of horse stealing. Ezra remains a wanderer, while Eli settles down to become a wealthy rancher. The story eventually follows Eli's daughter: Velma, who is brutalized by two of her three husbands, but whose estrangement from Eli causes her the most pain, and takes the story into the Depression era.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a well-written book, and the only reason I gave it three stars (instead of four or five) is that it is so ambitious in scope that it doesn't quite live up to expectations. Loosely based on some letters written by the author's family, this is a multi-generation novel that takes place primarily in South Dakota, Wyoming and Nebraska in the 19th century and early 20th century. The characters are well-drawn, but suffer from a lack of the type of in-depth description we readers crave. There is much hardship in this book, but some wonderful writing about the prairie milieu. There are strong women and headstrong men. There are misunderstandings and rebellious family disputes. There is love and death. This book should be of interest to those who crave historical fiction (and nonfiction, too). Frustrating but worthwhile.

[Quiltgranny · Rating 4 out of 5]

The more I think about this book, the more I like it. It's a well paced saga of a family of pioneers moving across the country to Montana and Wyoming. There's some pretty darned exciting tales, and some moving accounts of illness, and how people managed to live in these extremely rugged and harsh areas. I truly enjoyed the tales that were tied together through time by 4 different rivers. What made it even more enjoyable was after I read the author's notes at the back of the book. It seems that this LONG novel was based on family tales and diaries of his own family. Much to think about!

Go here to read the author's notes on how this book came to be.
http://www.jacktoddtheauthor.com/Page...

[Sonya L Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

From Amazon:
"Part history, part romance, and part action-adventure novel, Sun Going Down follows the fortunes of Ebenezer Paint and his descendants—rough and tough individuals who are caught up in Civil War river battles, epic cattle drives through drought and blizzards, the horrors of Wounded Knee, the desperation of the dust bowl, and the prosperity of the roaring 1920s."

From Publishers Weekly:
"Three generations of the Paint family struggle through 70 years of hardship and heartache on the Western plains in Todd's ambitious fiction debut. En route from Mississippi to the Dakota Territory at the height of the Civil War, Ebenezar Paint meets and marries twice-widowed Cora, a union that produces two strapping twin boys, Eli and Ezra. Ebenezer vainly chases riches; by 15, the boys are orphans and cowboys—and involved in a risky but profitable bit of horse stealing. Ezra remains a wanderer, while Eli settles down to become a wealthy rancher. The narrative eventually follows Eli's favorite daughter of his six children: Velma, who is brutalized by two of her three husbands, but whose estrangement from Eli causes her the most pain, and takes the story into the Depression era. Vivid and colorful in its depiction of the West's transformation from the frontier to the modern age, this is a hardscrabble tale of proud folks who refuse to forgive mistakes or forget faults. Todd's previous book was Desertion, a memoir of his 1969 desertion from the U.S. Army and his resettlement in Canada. He gives this epic story, which an afterword notes is based on the lives of relatives, pulpy sweep and palpable anguish."

[Bill P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel had been sitting on my bookshelf for a couple of years, not sure why it took me so long to get to it. Having finally picked it up, it wasn't long before this multi-generation saga had me hooked. The first scenes of life on the Mississippi during the years of the Civil War are engaging but it became riviting for me when the central characters of Eli and Ezra come into the story. There is a lot of familiar ground here for readers of western historical fiction, but the author's skill in describing the landscape and making characters come to life made it all seem so very fresh. When the story shifts to Eli's daughters the narrative drive doesn't slow one bit, and the personal pain, poignancy and redemption portrayed will threaten tears for all but the hardest hearts. The fact that it was all inspired and loosely based on the author's family lends an added bit of authenticity.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't read too many Westerns, and I happened on this one by accident. I acquired the second book, then realized I needed to read the first one first, which turned out to be a Western of sorts. This is the story of the Paint family from Civil War days until right before the Great Depression. The story line includes riverboating for commerce on the Mississippi, a move to the plains of Nebraska, then Montana. It involves ranching, farming and doing whatever was necessary to survive as a settler. Rancher Eli Paint had four girls who could ride and rope better than most cowboys, which was interesting. Not being a Western fan, I have to admit that Lonesome Dove is probably my favorite book of all time. Sun Going Down is similar but doesn't have as much dry wit as Lonesome Dove, nor does it have the quirky characters that made it so enjoyable. I am glad I read this one and I enjoyed it very much.

[Marie Carmean · Rating 4 out of 5]

If possible I would give this book 4 1/2 stars! This long book, spanning four generations of the Paint family and traveling from the Mississippi River at the end of the War Between the States to Nebraska and Wyoming during Wounded Knee and on into the Depression, was, I discovered, based on the diaries and letters of Todd's own family. Eb Jones, the character Ezra Paint, left a detailed journal of his time during the Indian Wars and his disgust and anger over Wounded Knee. Todd's grandmother Velma is the Velma of the book, a disenfranchised daughter of Ezra's twin brother, Eli. I enjoyed very much the many characterizations of this colorful family, and the way the story is woven strongly into the fabric of history. It is a wonderful homage to Todd's ancestors, to the birth of western America, to the people who as cowboys and ranchers created a lifestyle and culture uniquely our own, but also to the Lakota people. A stirring, wonderful book!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sweeping family epic is my favorite type of book. This was one of the best I have read in a long time. This book runs from the Civil War to the Depression and involves four generations of a family intent on settling the "wild" west. I especially loved the women in this book. They were strong, intelligent, stubborn and completely human. They are exactly what I picture when I think of women who tamed the frontier. The fact that they were based on the authors ancestors made them even more lovable. Todd's descriptions of the wide open plains and infinite sky lead one to believe that the garden of eden just may exist in Wyoming!

[Linda Dittmar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Todd is a good writer...visually one can see the west being settled...the pioneers, with all their struggles, personally, with neighbors, the law, illness, etc. The characters come alive, and upon finishing reading, the reader wishes it could go on. This is based on Todd's own family's account of coming west as ranchers. These people were real, they get up every single day and endure struggles we can only imagine, and yet they persevere. Of course, there is jealousy, vice, argumentative relatives, and terrible disease, everything life gives us, only these people meet it head on and don't back down. I enjoyed every word. I look forward to other books by this author.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A multigenerational novel about the families who settled the great plains is good companion when it's blizzarding outside and you're nursing a bad cold. I am extremely grateful for central heat and indoor plumbing.

The opening chapters were a little slow but the book grabbed me by the collar when Ezra and Eli were born. Headstrong men and strong-willed women settled this country or died trying and this book tells their tale.

I would have liked a little more depth to the main characters and the ending really left me hanging. These are the only things that keep it from a 5 star rating.

[Carla Hostetter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an epic western saga vividly written and chock full of outstanding characters. Based on family stories, Todd tells the tales of the ones who "stuck" to develop the west. It is rather hard to put down until we get to Velma's grim story which goes on and on, nothing but hard work, illness, and little joy.Though I have no doubt women were treated poorly in this era, the detailed violence and rape scenes were hard to take. But for that, I would have given this book five stars. Still, a good read for those who love the Old West unromanticized.

[Bob Plank · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent saga of the American West encompassing the period from the California Gold Rush, thru the Civil War, the settling of the Great Plains and the Dust Bowl & Great Depression. Although fictional it has a historical basis and is generated from the author's family letters. memoirs and verbal histories. It's scope is broad and visual, the characters rich & vibrant and is meticulously detailed and well-crafted. A must read...........

[Wendy Hicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

You could classify this as an adventure/historical/family saga, that happens to be set in the American West post Civil War. Terrific writing, gritty characters -- lots of reasons to turn the pages. Mining his own family diaries & letters, the author has created something that feels real, as it incorporates events like Wounded Knee, the dustbowl depression, and the war between the states. If you loved Cold Mountain or Enemy Women, give this one a try.

[Cam King · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like Westerns like Lonesome Dove, you'll like this. The book begins on an old paddleboat plying the Mississippi River during the Civil War and the Seige of Vicksburg. It follows the life of Eb Paint, former boat captain, who with his brother find themselves in Nebraska and Wyoming. It is also the story of several courageous women and how they survived life in the harsh conditions of the West at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century.

[Lynnette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good, adventure-style book--guys would like it. It's based on the author's family memoirs and starts with the Great Grandfather running a steamer on the Mississippi and emigrating to the Dakota territory and Nebraska.
You had to be lucky to survive as a pioneer. This is the time of throwing up a
sod hut, stuffing mud in the cracks, and hoping you make it through the winter.
You Wilsons from So Dakota (and kind of Nebraska) should read this. Lynnette

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you were to ask me what kind of books I would not choose to read, this is that kind. This epic of a family covering many decades building the Wild West with the usual assornment of good guys, bad guys and totally screwed up relatives is absolutely not my favorite. But, I could not stop reading this.

This was an advanced reader copy that has languished on our shelves for years, but once I started it, there was no stopping. It would make a better TV series than Lonesome Dove.

[Blaine Morrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful family epic that depicts the hardship of life in the prairie states during the late 19th century, along with the love and determination that enables a family to endure and survive. The characters are well developed and lovable, despite their flaws, and the plot is absorbing. The fact (at least the author says it's a fact) that this saga is based on true family history is remarkable, though this could stand alone as outstanding fiction.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a book I didn't know if I would like, but the epic western was one I couldn't put down. I was completely impressed with the 3 generations of Paint characters and how they made their mark on the west. The women in this novel were especially dynamic--thanks Jen for recommending this at book club!

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Westerns are not my usual genre, but I was intrigued that this was based on letters and diaries, written by the author's ancestors, that track the story of an American family with all the joys, sadnesses, hardships, and successes. I wasn't disappointed. I'm looking forward to the sequel Todd hinted at in his afterward.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this beautifully written epic following several generations of the Paint family, based on the real family history of the author, Jack Todd. The characters and their lives became real as I reaqd the vivid descriptions of life on America's prairie lands, spanning the decades from the 1860's to the 1930's. I f you enjoy this sort of book, you will love this.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book & can not wait to start books two & three of the trilogy!
The struggles of this family through the years between the civil war and the world wars, the children, mothers, fathers, the economy make for an epic story.

OMG! Hollywood should come calling for a long series movie....I loved it

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like the Old West but are looking for a deeper and more exciting picture of what life might have been this book is for you. Jack gets you excited for all the main characters as you follow them while their intriguing stories unfold in the midwestern USA. A great mix of history and fiction.

[Cynthia Meyers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first in a trilogy.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is an amazing look back into the history of the American West. Gritty and gripping, this tale follows three generations of a family you will laugh and cry with.

[Ronnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has to be one of the best fiction /non-fiction books written. I wrote fiction/non-fiction because though the characters are fiction it is all based on characters larger than life that occurred in the settling of the West. I have a bias in this. I always loved horses. The smell of horses after they worked. The smell of horse leather...the horses themselves. I used to stay in the barn combing and talking to Fan..My uncle told me to stay away from Ban..because he was always touchy with strangers(even though I would come every six months) I loved combing Fan's hair....clean her legs...clean the hoofs...I even was able to get her to lie down in the barn so I could sleep next to her. My mother was always upset that I smelled like horse when came into the house. I even rode Fan with a blanket on her back and directing her by holding the mane. Anyway. I always had a fascination with the West...Custer( I can't tell how times I read of Custer's Last Stand in the Funk-Wagnalls collection my parents has bought) When my family moved to Las Vegas I made sure to visit the Paiute reservations and other areas around the near by areas. I have also visited Amerindian Sites in Quebec. The America Experience is stained with the blood of innocents. White-Amerindian-Black-Asian-Spanish.-French.. This is a good book. Riveting. No holds barred. It is inspiringly brutal and inspiring. Brutal because it is told from letters written of his ancestors to family members...Inspiring because after all is said and done. People kept moving on.Those that bad things sometimes learned to regret their behaviour...others died with blemishes on their tales.All families have blemishes in their histories .Do the sins of forefathers visit their progeny? Read the book and decide yourself.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Epic family drama! I loved that it was based on letters from the author's ancestors. I appreciated how he dealt with complexities of White/Native American conflict in the settling of the west. I'm reminded of how hard it was to be a woman in our country in the past. And, I learned a lot about cowboys, ranching, and cattle drives!!

[Warren Layberry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A terrific generational novel spanning seventy years of American history (1863–1933). Lyrical and evocative with complex characters. Cinematic and compelling, it compares favourably to Lonesome Dove.

[Stevie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book and the sequel, Come Again No More. Currently trying to find a copy of the third book in the Paint family series, Rain Falls Like Mercy.

[Hannah Lyons · Rating 3 out of 5]

Never a good sign if you don’t appreciate the book until after reading the epilogue. Basically a more tragic (and wordy) rendition of Little House on the Prairie.