Elkhorn Tavern

The first book I read by this author was "Come Winter," which turns out to be the final book in the three book series about Roman Hasford--"Elkhorn Tavern" being the first, and "Roman" the second. I loved "Come Winter" so much that I wanted to read everything by Douglas Jones. The books take place during and after the Civil War, so as a bonus you learn a lot about this time period, almost as if you are transported there. I liked the characters very much, and there are a good variety of them - former slaves, a Jewish man, army guys and very interesting strong women. The series follows Roman from about age 14 when he lives with his mother and sister in a farm in Arkansas during the Civil War (Elkhorn Tavern) to his move to Kansas to make his fortune (Roman) until he returns to Arkansas a rich man (Come Winter). You get to experience his whole life, including his death. It was wonderful. As one publisher put it: a marvelous read.

This is not a romantic piece about the Civil War. Nor is it, as one reviewer wrote, similar to "Cold Mountain" in any way other than superficially. This is the War Between the States from the viewpoint of a mother, son, and daughter trying to survive as Yankees overrun their land, bushwhackers and jayhawkers ride in at night to take whatever they want (including the family's 17-year-old daughter), Indians from the nearby Indian Territory knock on their door unexpectedly, and a wounded Yankee comes under their care -- and all the while, their husband/father is off in the Confederate army, and the lack of any word from him adds to the family's tension. Littered throughout are closeup vignettes of actual participants in the battle of Pea Ridge -- Union and Confederate commanders are portrayed with such clarity, you will never forget them. But in the end they play only a minor role, taking a far back seat to Ora, Roman, and Calpurnia Hasford. The characters here are better drawn than those in "Cold Mountain" and the historical details both of farm life and of the War are far more accurate -- and nowhere in fiction will you find stronger, more capable women than Ora Hasford and her daughter Calpurnia. The writing is solid from the outset and never falters, and you find yourself caring about these people -- who have fears and joys, vanities and faults -- as much as anyone you might actually know. My heart was pounding at the book's climax -- well done, Mr. Jones! Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys historical fiction and a character-driven story. The saga of this family is continued in other books by Jones - "Winding Stair," "Roman," "Come Winter," and "Remember Santiago."

This was particularly memorable in it's similarity to the bestseller, Cold Mountain, which I read before Elkhorn Tavern. This is also a civil War novel which focuses on daily life concerns during wartime rather than combat issues.There are more memorable characters in this book as well as more intricate subplots. I couldn't help but wonder why this wasn't as big a hit as Cold Mountain, since this was published prior to that popular and well written Civil War novel.