Author: Erwin A. Thompson

Publisher: iUniverse, Inc.

ISBN-10: 0595402283: ISBN-13: 978-0595402281

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Erwin Arthur Thompson’s life has a rich credit of various art forms: poems, music, stories, family history, and dance. A veteran of the Second World War, Erwin is now in his early nineties and a source of inspiration in both writing and music. Erwin’s first book in the ‘Thompson Western Series’ is titled Cattle Country Back Trail: Two Tales from Thompson Western Series (iUniverse, Inc., Nebraska, 2006). To put it cogently, it is the commencement of a whole new adventure in Western fiction, reviving the ambience of a worthy and invigorating age.

 The two tales in Erwin A Thompson’s book, Cattle Country and Back Trail, narrate the events of Wagon Wheel County as they take place in the lives of daring men and courageous women. The first tale Cattle Country is about Frank Wells, a young man wanted by the law in Texas, who arrives in Wagon Wheel at a time when the good townsfolk need him. The treacherous elements of the town are playing it all so well until Frank shakes them out of their plans and, despite being an outlaw, instantiates courage and loyalty. Of course, the women in the story are no less inspiring characters than any of the good guys. Katherine Wade, Doris Halleran, and Betty Vane are the more confident, bold, and strong women that have often become the characters of western literature and movies. Still more remarkable is the observation that even the villains of the story play along certain, well-defined, moral lines. Their murderous intentions are mostly underlain by revenge, something that all traditions have considered manly. There is very little slyness in Thompson’s characters. This quality makes his work worth reading, enjoying, and using as a case for learning some of the good things from our past.        

The book’s second story Back Trail relates the events of Wagon Wheel some years later when another dead shot Jeff Hawkins rides in from Texas where he is wanted by bad guys for revenge. As Jeff risks his life to save that of young Bill Pierce, he becomes the hero of the town’s gentle folk and gets into the good books of, among others, Frank Wells-now the town’s sheriff. Once again, we meet brave young ladies like Helen Pierce and Sarah Haverill who would not shrink from standing by Jeff’s side against the vengeful plotters.

Cattle Country Back Trail is an exciting reading of the values that characterized the heroes of the not-so-remote past. Foremost, these heroes were courageous and loyal-qualities that are wanting in our times. Erwin’s book is just the beginning of a revival of western tradition in fiction and the way he has initiated this style of adventurous storytelling, it will be no wonder if the coming few years see a big leap in magnificent western fiction.

The above review was contributed by: Ernest Dempsey,  pen name of Karim Khan from Pakistan is a Research Associate in Geology writes fiction, nonfiction, and book reviews. To read more of Karim's Review CLICK HERE