So Brave, Young and Handsome
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Book Overview
Now in paperback, the new novel by Leif Enger, author of the million-copy best seller, Peace Like a River, is a lively, big-hearted redemption tale; an unforgettable, picaresque Western yarn.
In 1915 Minnesota, writer Monte Becket has lost his sense of purpose. His only success long behind him, Monte lives simply with his wife and son until he befriends outlaw Glendon Hale. Plagued by guilt over abandoning his wife two decades ago, Glendon aims to go back West on a quest for absolution. As the modern age marches swiftly forward, Monte agrees to travel into Glendon's past, leaving behind his own family for a journey that will test the depth of his loyalties and morals, and the strength of his resolve. As they flee the relentless ex-Pinkerton who's been hunting Glendon for years, Monte falls ever further from his family and the law, to be tempered by a fiery adventure from which he may never get home.
With its smooth mix of romanticism and gritty reality, So Brave, Young, and Handsome examines one ordinary man's determination as he risks everything in order to understand what it's all worth, and follows an unlikely dream in the hope it will lead him back home.
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Customer Reviews
Rated 4 starsTurn of the century western
A one-hit wonder author heads west without always knowing friend from foe.
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Rated 5 starsClever and insightful
Writers come and go, but Mr. Enger keeps one enthralled with character after character standing right in front of the reader in all their quirks and shining strengths. If this work wasn’t about a middle aged man, one might say it’s a coming of age story. Thoroughly enjoyed this well told tale of soul searching travels, bad guys turned good and good guys turned bad in a manner of thinking. There is much redemption in these...
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Rated 5 starsWonderful second novel from Enger
"So Brave, Young and Handsome" is a novel about three men who are none of these things - failed author Monte Becket (who is the least brave of the three), retired train robber Glendon Hale (no longer as young as he was), and aging detective Charles Siringo (not young or particularly handsome as the book proceeds). While they may not be brave, young and handsome, they are interesting and well-drawn characters, amiable companions...
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Rated 5 starsYes, there is a country for old men...or old writers
The author mentions "The Cowboy's Lament" in the afterword. I recommend listening to The Sons of the Pioneers The Essential Collection ( The Sons of The Pioneers) and Country Classics Country Classics, Vol. 2 when you read this poetic love letter to the Western. This book, like many of the finest stories, is about the quest for redemption. To the list of classic dusty-trail duos, Leif Enger adds the team of the anguished...
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Rated 5 starsA Turn-of-the-Century Original
The mere thought of another Leif Enger novel had me salivating from the time I caught wind of it. "Peace Like a River" was a book of beauty, miracles, and finely wrought characters. What would Mr. Enger come up with this time? To his credit, Enger makes little attempt to recreate a similar magic, and instead stirs up a new sort of story that stands on its own two feet. Monte Becket, an author floundering through his second...
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