“The Way of the Coyote” by Elmer Kelton

“The Way of the Coyote” by Elmer Kelton
2001, A Forge Book
ISBN: 0-312-87318-2

I’m reading them out of sequence, but this is still terrific. “The Way of the Coyote” is more in the story of Andy Pickard and Rusty Shannon. Andy, once known as Badger Boy when he lived with the Comanche Indians, is growing up. Now, he’s living with Rusty, who rescued him. They are in Texas during the reconstruction after the Civil War in the late 1800’s.

While Andy lived with the Comanche it was considered a good trait to be tricky the way a coyote is tricky. Andy had to bring that way of thinking with him to help out in this story.

A little boy is kidnapped by the Comanche and Andy takes up the quest of rescuing the boy. There’s also trouble for everybody during this time of carpetbaggers who are bedeviling Texans. A pair of low-down brothers take a dislike to Rusty and whichever way he turns there seems to be trouble.

I love the way the story flows; the way Elmer Kelton writes. I’m glad he’s written a number of books because I will be on the lookout for more of them. I’m recommending “The Way of the Coyote” as a terrific read. It is a really good Western.