16-year old Troy Stotts is the protagonist in this modern
Western story. He and his father have a nearly
non-existent relationship due mostly in part to the death of Troy’s mother; the
family had already suffered the loss of his brother so it is only the two of
them. Fortunately for the teen he has
his horse and his best friends Tom and Gabe. These two are polar opposites yet they
balance each other out and help Troy through his grief. The third person to help Troy through his
misery is his crush Luz- who just happens to be Gabe’s sister.
Smith’s story meanders through the summer after Mrs. Stotts’
death. He takes the time to flesh out
his characters and build up the ranch-land environment they exist it. When not working on Gabe’s father’s ranch the
boys spend time camping out and leisurely enjoying each other’s company. They are far from slothful however. Aside from the ranch work on Gabe’s ranch
they find the time to help out the elderly Rose a.k.a. Goat Woman. Rose promises each of the boys one of her
wild horses, if they can catch one.
Aside from helping her they also take the time to talk with her while
they indulge in the not so legal habit of chewing tobacco and the occasional
adult beverage.
The story is not without external conflict. The boys are antagonized by the sheriff’s scoundrel of a son Chase, and his friend Jack. Chase’s attempted rape of Luz leads to an escalating bitterness which leads to the death of the book’s antagonist.
Teachers will appreciate the detail Smith puts into his characters and will be able to use it as a springboard with their students to discuss characterization. Due to its heavy themes, the primary audience for this book would be high school students.
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