Bowie's Mine: A Story of the Buckalew Family

by Elmer Kelton

Daniel Provost is the son of a farmer. Living up to his father's high standards for the farm is very hard work, but his life is basically comfortable and a loving woman is waiting to become his wife.

When a well-traveled stranger, bearing a story of Jim Bowie's legendary silver mine, appears at the farm, Daniel might just throw away everything for the chance at adventure he thought had passed him by.

Genres: Westerns, Fiction, Historical Fiction

192 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 12, 1971

About the author

Elmer Kelton (1926-2009) was award-winning author of more than forty novels, including The Time It Never Rained, Other Men’s Horses, Texas Standoff and Hard Trail to Follow. He grew up on a ranch near Crane, Texas, and earned a journalism degree from the University of Texas. His first novel, Hot Iron, was published in 1956. Among his awards have been seven Spurs from Western Writers of America and four Western Heritage awards from the National Cowboy Hall of Fame. His novel The Good Old Boys was made into a television film starring Tommy Lee Jones. In addition to his novels, Kelton worked as an agricultural journalist for 42 years. He served in the infantry in World War II. He died in 2009.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/elmerk...

Reviews

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read Bowie’s Mine because I once met Elmer Kelton and thought that he was kind and hilarious (plus, I’ve read just a couple of his other books--which were good) and because I grew up hearing the legends about Jim Bowie’s mine around the San Saba mission and presidio, since I was raised in that area. I figured that Bowie’s Mine would be pretty mindless, western pulp, but I thought that it would be fun to read anyway.

It was. The book is pretty mindless. It was very clearly flawed--no nearly one of Kelton’s best. It was still fun to read.

The book follows the young farmer Daniel. When the adventurer Milo Seldom happens through the farm setting off to find Bowie’s lost mine, Milo decides to test whether or not the wandering life is for him and follows the likeable, ne’er-do-well out west. Together, they end up meeting a beautiful and smart Mexican woman, with whom they attempt to smuggle tobacco to Texas, fight off Indians, and search for the silver mines.

There are some obvious flaws to the novel. Mainly, I was bothered by the shifting conflicts. There’s never an overarching conflict that builds any tension as the story goes. Instead, the book is quite episodic, as one villain leaves the scene to be replaced by another. The character’s motivations, too, for just about everything they do are pretty banal. There are none of those things, however, that I wasn’t expecting in reading the book.

What’s good about it is there are some well-imagined action scenes. This is also still the same Kelton who wrote much better novels (I’m especially thinking of Good Old Boys) and so who can sprinkle the novel with a measure of wit and eloquent descriptions of the West Texas landscape.

All in all, this is an enjoyable novel. It’s not the place to start reading Elmer Kelton, but it can make for an enjoyable afternoon read some time.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Louis L'Amour and Zane Grey fans will enjoy Kelton's short novel about a search for Jim Bowie's lost silver mine during the Republic of Texas period. There is a cast of several varied and conflicting characters that face thieves, Mexican soldiers, and Indians. An interesting Western read.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one of Kelton's best books, but it wasn't bad. If you're like me, you'll likely have times when you just want to slap some of the characters, but thankfully not the main character this time.

[David Brimer · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars: This novel is far more an adventure yarn than a traditional western. Fun but not rich with substance.

[Rodney · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of farm boy Daniel heading to the frontier of Texas looking for the fabled Bowie silver mine with ne’er-do-well Milo Seldon.

[Dan Panke · Rating 5 out of 5]

A western without a gunfight between good guy, bad guy, yet it works. It's a search for a treasure of silver (not gold).