This is the second book of the Sackett series. For those of you who are not familiar with the name ’Sackett’, here is a brief introduction.
Introduction to the Sackett series:
Louis L’Amour writes about how the West began, how people came in from England and other neighbouring places to settle in America. He talks about the Red Indians that lived on the land till then. Louis L’Amour has built a family tree comprising of 10 generations of Sacketts, and written 17 novels based on this family. Starting from Barnabas Sackett who moves into the ’’New World’’ (America), from England, the 17 novels take you through how the Sackett family sets its roots into American soil, and becomes so much a part of its history...! Every individual novel is a separate story in itself, and you don’t need to read them in that particular order either. However, once you start reading these novels, it is as though you have known the entire family. At times you are able to make a mental note that a particular Sackett is behaving this way, because one of his ancestors was the same...!! It is fun!!
To The Far Blue Mountains:
This is the second book in the Sackett series, and it revolves around Barnabas Sackett, who is being sought out by the Queen in England because it is believed that he has found a Royal treasure that had been lost. In truth, Barnabas comes across only a couple of gold coins on some sea shore. No one seems willing to believe him. And that is how the chase begins...he runs from England, and is on his way to America--to the land of the ’Far Blue Mountains’ (that he dreams of!). This is his second trip to this new land. His fiancee, Abigail, and her father agree to come with him too. So, along with them and a couple of close friends that he picks up along the way, he sets on his way to America...by ship! On the way, they decide to get married, and have a nice little ceremony. Time passes....and one day... He is captured by the English, and taken back to England. He escapes from the prison, and makes his way back to the ship and to his wife and friends who wait for him (somewhere on the sea, obviously!). There is a lot of action all along the way...and it is worth reading it!! On his way, he even takes over a pirate ship, and takes on the role of a pirate king himself!! Using all such means he reaches the place where he knows his friends await him. When he reaches there, he finds out that a pirate (an old enemy of his) has attacked them, and killed several of his people, including his wife’s father. However, once reunited, they start moving towards the land which he has always dreamed of--the Far Blue Mountains! Once off their ship, they start walking into the green and brown forest around them...the new land that they had headed for. In the course of time, they realize that winter will soon be setting on them, so they go about putting up a place together--a fortress that would keep them as safe from the winter as from the Red Indians that they have heard of. One day, they come across a Catawba warrior (one from one of the several Red Indian tribes). He is wounded and dying. They nurse him back to health, and over time he teaches them things about the land, the edible fruits, roots etc. They learn his language, while he picks up the English.
While all this has been happening, they also set traps and catch animals and get their fur...something that they hope to use to trade with any ships that they might be able to set sights on. In this manner, they collect some furs as well as timber, which they trade. For this, they go back to the sea and wait for some ship to show up. They do this successfully with several ships...although on one occassion they run into an English ship, and there is more action! All part of it! More time passes... Barnabas and Abigail are now parents of three boys--Kin, Yance and Jublain. All three become a part of the land...wild, wary, careful, and yet different from each other in several ways. On several occassions, earlier as well as now, they are attacked by Indians (other tribes, since by now the Catawba become friends with them), and they fight them off. Ofcourse, Sackett loses several of his men over the years to the Indians. However, with the years, the name of Sackett becomes well-known to the Indians, and they too admire and respect him for his bravery. All the same, they wish to kill him and take his scalp (like they do, as a souvenir)...as this would be a great honour to kill someone as brave as Barnabas! More time passes... They have a daughter now...and Abigail feels that the daughter needs to brought up like a lady in England, far away from this forest! One son also shows interest in studying law. So, it is decided that Abby with the two children are to go back to England. With a heavy heart, Barnabas gets them on to a ship that is to take them there. As he bids them farewell, he knows that he will never see the three of them again!!! Time passes... Barnabas and his old faithful friend (Black Tom) set on their way to the ’Far Blue Mountains’...and on the way they are assaulted by several Indians. The two of them, old now, fight valiantly...but are outnumbered...and are killed!! When the Indians reach their camp, the chief of the tribe asks them where the scalps are...and here is what they say...(Quoted from the book itself!) ’’We were twelve. Four came away. We left his scalp with him...and the other also.’’ Another spoke, ’’We covered them with blankets, for they were brave.’’ ’’He was ever brave.’’ The old man was silent. ’’You have done well.’’ And when they had walked from the lodge the old man took a pinch of tobacco and threw it into the fire. Then sadly he said, ’’Who now is left to test our young men? Who now?’’ ...and that is how the novel ends...!!
About the book:
There is undoubtedly a lot of action in this book, though not the typical Louis L’Amour type...but the picture that he paints of ancient America...the Indians...the struggles of the early settlers...all this is done so well, that it makes this book simply un-put-downable!!!!!!!