Road to Reckoning: A Novel
The year is 1837, when 12-year-old Thomas and his widower father head west, planning to sell the newly invented Colt “Improved Revolving Gun” on commission. They get no farther than Pennsylvania, however, before they are ambushed and the father killed, leaving Thomas an orphan. That’s when he meets Henry Stands, a former Indiana Ranger, who reluctantly takes him under his wing. “He had a great belly,” Thomas says of Stands, “and broad limbs that looked like they could carry anything he cared to.” Stands is larger than life in his intimidating presence, too, a good man to have at your back when you’re 12, your father’s murderers may be on your trail, and home is your desire and destination. But evil men are crafty; home is far away; and Thomas’ troubles have only begun. Lautner’s is a tale of guns and grit that will remind most readers of Charles Portis’ modern classic True Grit, with Henry Stands a stand-in for Rooster Cogburn. None of this is to discount the frontier charm of Road to Reckoning or the appealing voice of its protagonist, Thomas, a worthy successor to Mattie Ross. For a great double feature, read both books. --Michael Cart