Review: Jubal Sackett - Louis L'Amour

So it was that in the last hour of darkness I went down the mountain through the laurel sticks, crossed a small stream, and skirted a meadow to come to the trace I sought.

Nearly one hundred years before De Soto had come this way, his marchings and his cruelties leaving no more mark than the stirring of leaves as he passed. A few old Indians had vague recollections of De Soto, but they merely shrugged at our questions. We who wandered this land knew this was no "new world". The term was merely a conceit in the minds of those who had not known of it before.

When someone says "western" to me, I immediately think of Louis L'Amour. He's an above-average writer in a genre I have to admit I don't know well - but to me, that underlines his appeal.

Louis L'Amour has a consistent style, and Jubal Sackett, like the rest of the Sackett series, is written in first person, and with a depth of understanding of the character which for me makes it an engrossing read.

Jubal Sackett is a young man heading west in the mid 17th century, and the book is a tale of his adventures. I am in no position, from my present day living-room, to comment on the likely authenticity of Jubal's experience, but what I can say is that Louis L'Amour makes me believe each and every one, and read "on the edge of my seat" at times. All of it told in the matter-of-fact, story-telling prose that for me makes L'Amour's writing an endless delight.

Jubal Sackett is a Western, and adventure and a romance, with also a touch of the paranormal. I'm a great fan of all L'Amour's writing; I love the Sackett series best of all; and of all the Sackett books, this one (which is one of L'Amour's 4 longer novels) is my favorite.

If you're a Sackett aficionado, this book would come fourth in the series, but it's not necessary to read all, or even any, of the other Sackett novels to enjoy Jubal Sackett.

It's a perfect bedtime book, a lovely way to spend the long summer evenings :)