Week 11 - Western Annotation

Author: Louis L’Amour
Title: Hondo
Genre: Western
Publication Date: Originally published in 1953
Number of Pages: 191
Geographical Setting: American Old West; Arizona
Time Period: 1800s

Plot Summary:
We meet Hondo Lane during a time of unrest between the American military and the Apache people. Tensions are rising and as a result all civilians in the area are encouraged to move from their land to an area protected by the military. One woman, Angie, will not leave her home believing that her and her son Johnny will be safe because her family has always gotten along with the Apache. Hondo Lane encounters Angie and even after moving on from her ranch, keeps thinking about her and her son. As he makes his way back to her he runs into her deadbeat husband and is captured by the Apache. Hondo and Angie do find their way back to each other using a few well placed lies and a lot of luck. When power of the tribe changes hands they, along with a column of the cavalry, set off toward California and a new beginning.

*If you read this book, keep in mind it was written in the 50s and is very much a product of its time. Some characterizations and word choices may be offensive to some readers*

Subject Headings (per NoveList):

• Apache (North American people)
• Pioneer women
• Frontier and pioneer life
• Ranches
• Abandoned wives
• Scouting (Reconnaissance)
• The West (United States) history

Appeal:

• Character
• When readers conjure a western hero in their mind’s eye, there is a decent chance the character will look something like Hondo Lane. He is a guy’s guy who pretty much goes where the wind takes him, can survive off what the land provides, and lives by a strong moral code.
• Setting
• The old west desert setting is like a character itself in this book. Hondo spends a lot of time out in the desert and has to know what to eat, where to find water and shelter, and how to cover his tracks and track others in order to survive. The desert setting isn’t one the side of one character or another, it is simply there and the characters have to navigate through it.
• Pacing
• With the slower pace of this book, you don’t always realize just how much is happening. There is a lot of detail that can be seen in the slower scenes and even when there is action or conflict, it doesn't feel like an intense adrenaline rush, it feels more like a natural outcome of the course of the story.

3 terms that best describe this book: Masculine, Wandering, Old-Timey

Similar Authors and Works (why are they similar?):

3 Relevant Non-Fiction Works and Authors

• A Walk in the Desert - By: Rebecca Johnson
• A big part of Hondo’s experience is knowing and surviving off the land of the desert.

• The Apache diaspora: four centuries of displacement and survival - By: Paul Conrad
• The Apache people play a big role in this story. While they are the antagonists of the overall book, there are instances where a tenuous truce is formed between the chief and Hondo.

• Gun Barons: the weapons that transformed America and the men who invented them -By: John Bainbridge
• Firearms are talked about quite a bit in the book. It is mentioned that they are a new form of weapon and readers can see how they impact the conflict between soldiers and the Apache.

3 Relevant Fiction Works and Authors

• Seven Days to Hell - By: William Johnstone
• For readers looking for a classic western that is more fast-paced and has two strong male leads who are on opposite sides fighting toward a common goal.

• Arizona Territory - By: Dusty Richards
• For readers looking for a classic western with a romance subplot, underdog odds, and strong male characters.

• Outlawed - By: Anna North
• For readers who want the western setting with more progressive characters and storylines. This book still has classic western elements, but pulls away from the stereotypical white, male lead trope.