All Things Left Wild

June 22, 2020
Wade’s violent and transfixing debut follows teenage Caleb Bentley and his no-good older brother, Shelby, through the turn-of-the-20th-century southwest, where they are on the run after stealing horses and killing a young boy in the process. Caleb and Shelby are pursued by dandified rancher Randall Dawson, pushed by his wife into getting revenge for the death of their son, Henry. But Randall, a poet by inclination, is unsuited for such a mission of vengeance. Fortunately, he is helped by single-minded Charlotte Washington, a black woman who is good with a gun. They are joined by Henry’s ranch hand friend Tadpole and an orphaned youth they find in an abandoned town. The Bentley brothers reluctantly join the Lobos, a band of outlaws led by a charismatic but volatile ex-Ranger named Grimes, from whom Caleb tries to rescue a Mexican girl Grimes plans to marry. And with Charlotte, Randall finds love and a courage he never knew he possessed as the two groups converge on one another for a blood-soaked climax. The author takes a classic western setup and refreshes it with sharp writing, strong characterizations, a vivid evocation of place, and a body count to rival The Wild Bunch. Fans of All the Pretty Horses will want to saddle up for this literary ride. Agent: Mark Gottlieb, Trident Media Group.

June 1, 2020
Sixteen-year-old Caleb Bentley and his older brother, Shelby, are on the run, having stolen horses and, in the process, inadvertently killed the son of the horses' owner, rancher Randall Dawson. The boys head to Texas, where they join the Lobos, a gang of outlaws bent on realizing their leader Mr. Grimes' mad dream of destiny. In the meantime, Dawson?woefully ill equipped?has set off in pursuit of them. Caleb will meet Sophia, whom Grimes claims is his daughter, and fall in love. The two flee Grimes' disapproval. While this is happening, Dawson meets a woman named Charlotte and, like Caleb, falls in love. Their intertwined fates are the subject of this often-somber first novel set at the turn of the twentieth century. Caleb tells his story in his own voice; Dawson's is told in third person, as the two accounts proceed in turn. Although sometimes a bit ponderous in its philosophizing, the novel is nevertheless accomplished, haunting, and satisfying.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

June 26, 2020

[DEBUT] Wade's first novel follows brothers Caleb and Shelby Bentley, who go on the run after killing young Henry Dawson during a horse theft in 1910. Randall Dawson, the boy's father, is reluctantly forced to pursue them. While the Bentleys get involved with the Lobos, an outlaw doomsday cult led by a charismatic ex-Ranger, Randall meets Charlotte Washington, a Black woman who's handy with a gun and who teaches him all he needs to know. The story ranges over many historical themes and introduces a wide variety of characters, from Easterners to Mexican ranchers to land speculators. The plot is complex and the writing stylized, but the story suffers slightly from some clich�d characterizations. VERDICT Mixing classic Western tropes with current concerns, this literary historical has a contemporary edge. With its lyrical language and philosophical asides, it may appeal mostly to readers of Cormac McCarthy's All the Pretty Horses or Patrick deWitt's The Sisters Brothers.--Melanie Kindrachuk, Stratford P.L., Ont.

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