Since I haven't been reading a lot lately, I asked my brilliant, handsome, and well-read husband Kyle (of vlogging fame) to write a guest post for me.
And he actually complied!
For your reading pleasure, I give you my beloved's review of Sackett's Land:
2015 - The Year of the Sacketts
In case you are not familiar with Louis L'Amour's work, the Sacketts are a fictional family who emigrated from England to America in the 1620's and then proceeded over to continue a western migration across America over the next 250 years. Over the course of about 18 books, L'Amour tells the story of the settlement of America, life on the frontier, and the continuous push to the West. I have read several of these novels over the years, but in 2015 I set the goal to read the complete saga, in order, from start to finish. The books are good, short reads perfect for a weekend - and most importantly, in paperback form they fit perfectly in the back pocket of your jeans! Over the years these books have been made into TV Mini-series and even several films.
Sackett's Land begins the story of this fictional family in 1620's England with the introduction of Barnabas Sackett, a free man with a small patch of land who through a series of events finds himself drawn to the New World. Set against the background of class struggles, the novel tries to delve into the motivation that would cause certain people to pack up and emigrate to an unknown land while others remain content in their homeland. There is plenty of action and adventure with pirates, Indians, battles, escapes, and sea battles. The author does tend to repeat himself quite a bit, but all in all it is a good book. L'Amour brings in historical characters and events and uses them as the backdrop for Barnabas and his friends who make the journey and eventually settle in America. The reader is led from the English countryside to 17th century London, across the Atlantic to the Carolina coast with Barnabas and his friends always fighting for justice and sticking up for each other.
Stay tuned for further reviews of To The Far Blue Mountains which continues the adventures of Barnabas as he settles in America with his wife begins to build up a life in the wilderness, and The Warrior's Pathwhich starts the tales of their children, particularly Kin Ring Sackett.