Gone to Texas

by Don Wright

Peyton Lewis and Fletcher Rucker are two humble Rebel boys whose innocence was destroyed in the bloody wreckage of the Civil War. Young and desperate, they fall in with a scheme to rob a bank but are totally unprepared for the violence that ensues. Sickened by the carnage and wanton cruelty that they have witnessed, Lewis and Rucker take their cut and join the migration of those who see the possibility of a new beginning in the wilderness of the Texas frontier. Along the way they meet rogues, killers...and two exceptional women: the tortured Molly Klinner, a woman who has also suffered dearly by the ravages of the war, and Gabriel Johnson, an Eastern beauty who decided to join the Texas migration on a lark--but will soon learn the true meaning of humanity. Together, the four travelers will weather the travails that the new frontier offers them--but will they manage to carve out a new life?

Genres: Historical Fiction

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published July 1, 1998

Reviews

[SusanwithaGoodBook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, this is the second book I've read this year with this title. The first one was basically a history textbook. This one is historical fiction based on actual events and people and places but uses fictional people to tell the story. The main character is a young man who, at the end of the Civil War, decides to make his way to Texas to start a new life with a clean slate. He has been through bloody battles and traumatic situations with his family, so there is no life to return to where he was from before the war. His cousin is in the same situation but hasn't got the same strong backbone. Still, they travel together on a harrowing journey to Texas. They fight nature's elements, criminals, and Indians, plus they meet men and, especially, women who challenge them in unexpected ways.

This is a true adventure story, somewhat in the vein of Louis Lamour or Zane Grey (though I've only read a few of those). There is a bit of romance to it, but I wouldn't really call it a romance. It was hard to put down because there was so much happening and I wasn't sure what would happen next. I can recommend it, but only for those who aren't easily offended by non-pc language and material. This book was written in the 90s so it doesn't fit with some modern sensibilities. I think he captured the world of the post-war West very well, though, so if you want to know how people talked and thought at that time, you should read it.


EDITED TO ADD THIS NOTE: This book really should probably be titled "Going to Texas." It really isn't about life in Texas. It's about people taking the harrowing journey toward Texas and the hardships they faced getting there and surviving the post-war situation. I was a bit disappointed that it didn't cover life in Texas, but it was so good and difficult to put down that I can't really blame him for focusing on the journey.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was okay, and easy reading. The plot was predictable though a bit slow.

[Neal Lee · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was absolutely one of the worst books I have ever read. Horrifically slow, zero character development, and comically predictable at the end. Wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone.

[Sean Best · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great western, a fun romance, and some shootin. Whats not to like. The characters are pretty straight forward. A good book for anyone who likes westerns mixed with a little romance!