I really enjoyed this novel from Kent who also wrote The Heretic's Daughter which I also liked. The Outcasts takes place in 1870, five years after the end of the Civil War and was written using two story-lines. The first told the story of Lucinda, a prostitute who escapes from a bordello in Fort Worth, Texas and heads to the Middle Bayou, near Houston, to take a job as a teacher to a group of young students there. She goes there at the behest of her lover who is after some supposed buried gold of the Pirate Lafitte! The second story line focuses on Nate Cannon, a young Texas Ranger who hooks up with two older Rangers in pursuit of a vicious killer named William McGill, who has killed men, women, and even children during his murderous exploits. The two story-lines come together about two-thirds into the novel and include several denouements that really make the novel interesting. Both Lucinda and Nate are very well-developed characters as are the other rangers and villains.
I guess you could classify this as a western although I thought it was much broader in scope than the typical western novel. In some ways, it reminded me of one of my favorite novels, Lonesome Dove, with the narrative of the Texas Rangers on the trail of a vicious murderer. Overall, I would give this one a high recommendation especially if you like historical novels with great character development.
I guess you could classify this as a western although I thought it was much broader in scope than the typical western novel. In some ways, it reminded me of one of my favorite novels, Lonesome Dove, with the narrative of the Texas Rangers on the trail of a vicious murderer. Overall, I would give this one a high recommendation especially if you like historical novels with great character development.
