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Book Review of The Big Sky

The Big Sky
The Big Sky
Author: A. B. Guthrie Jr.
Genre: Literature & Fiction
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
sandyfl avatar reviewed on + 42 more book reviews


From the back cover: "The Big Sky is the first of A.B. Guthrie's epic adventure novels of America's vast frontier. It is a story as great as the land that inspired it, sweeping westward from Kentucky, up the Missouri River into Indian Country. Towering above the novel is Guthrie's unforgettable hero. Boone Caudill, a true mountain man driven by a raging hunger for life and a longing for the blue sky and brown earth of the big, wild places. A legend before he turns 20, Boone becomes a powerful White Savage, an untamed life force that only one woman, the beautiful daughter of a Blackfoot chief, would dare to love. It is this magnificent spirit that Guthrie celebrates with his vivid storytelling - the glory of the bigness, the wildness, the freedom and the undying dream of the West."
367 pages.
This book was a hand-me-down from my brother, and it's not really my genre. Since I haven't read it, I'll offer only the impressions and facts I have gained from a brief examination. Reading the excerpt in the front, the author's language appears very descriptive and allows the reader to stand with the character and look out upon the vast wilderness with him. Wallace Stegner wrote the forward, and describes "The Big Sky" as the best of the three in this series. The book is divided into 5 parts, set from 1830 - 1843. There appears to be a lot of dialogue that reflects the accent/speaking style of the characters. For example, "It's all sp'iled, I reckon, Dick. The whole caboodle." (pg. 366) and "Beaver's sceerce." (pg. 364). There is cursing in the book, I found from just flipping through. I hope these descriptions have helped in your decision, and thank you for trading!