Official Review: Alone on Pasture Ridge by J. R. Hightower
Posted: 22 Jun 2019, 15:50
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Alone on Pasture Ridge" by J. R. Hightower.]
2 out of 4 stars
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In 1870s Texas, nineteen-year-old Rob Wilson has just lost his entire family to typhoid fever. After burying his little sister, Rob decides he cannot stay in his home. He sells his ranch, and he and his best friend Jessie head off to New Mexico for a fresh start. Once there, they go about the business of locating land for their new ranch, acquiring cattle, and registering their brand. In the meantime, Rob meets people from all walks of life and discovers that there is more than one way to make a family.
Alone on Pasture Ridge by J. R. Hightower is a historical fiction novel told primarily from the third-person point of view of Rob, although the perspective switches briefly to other characters from time to time. The novel presents a good example of what it would be like to live in southern New Mexico in the 1870s. Rob befriends some Mescalero Apache Indians and Mexicans, and he even becomes close with a coyote.
My favorite part of this novel was the exploration of the different cultures, such as some of the beliefs and customs of the Apache Indians. I particularly enjoyed the focus on the theme of the coyote and the Apache belief that the coyote can be the spirit of a departed loved one working to keep you safe. Rob’s relationship with his coyote, Duke, helps him earn the respect and admiration of the Indians he meets. Since my favorite part about historical fiction novels is learning about other cultures, I wish this book would have focused more on themes similar to this one.
Unfortunately, that is where my praise for this novel ends. To be honest, I found it difficult to get through. The first half of the book was extremely slow, simply providing a blow by blow report of Rob and Jessie scouting for and setting up their new ranch. The dialogue was boring and scripted, consisting of the men reporting on the various geological formations or describing how they planned to accomplish tasks in a way that would have been better left to the narrator. About halfway through the book, the story picked up a bit, and while I wouldn’t say it was an exciting read, I did find it easier to finish.
The primary shortcoming of this book was the lack of a main story arc. There was no central problem, no suspense or rising action, and no exciting climax to the book. Rob’s difficulties were few and were all easily overcome. The main antagonist of the book only appeared three times, and even he was simple to deal with. At the end of the book, there was an event which was meant to be the suspenseful climax of the story, but it was written in such a way that the reader never had to question whether everything would turn out okay in the end.
Another issue I had with the book was the lack of character development. Everywhere Rob went, he impressed people and won their goodwill and assistance with his polite manners. He was an excellent leader, and he always had a cool head in times of trouble or stress. He never had room to grow during the story. I found this to be extremely unrealistic when speaking about a nineteen-year-old boy, especially one who had just experienced the trauma of burying his entire family. The other characters were flat as well. The romantic element of the story was boring because the author didn’t take the time to delve into either of the characters or their relationship.
In addition to the writing deficiencies, this book was not professionally edited. I found in excess of ten typographical errors, primarily missing periods and unnecessary commas. I ultimately decided to give this book 2 out of 4 stars, because I did enjoy some of the cultural elements included in the story. As someone who loves historical fictions with a wild west theme, I had high hopes for the book but was ultimately disappointed. I would only recommend this to someone who is extremely interested in geography and topography or who likes to read “a day in the life” style books.
******
Alone on Pasture Ridge
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
2 out of 4 stars
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In 1870s Texas, nineteen-year-old Rob Wilson has just lost his entire family to typhoid fever. After burying his little sister, Rob decides he cannot stay in his home. He sells his ranch, and he and his best friend Jessie head off to New Mexico for a fresh start. Once there, they go about the business of locating land for their new ranch, acquiring cattle, and registering their brand. In the meantime, Rob meets people from all walks of life and discovers that there is more than one way to make a family.
Alone on Pasture Ridge by J. R. Hightower is a historical fiction novel told primarily from the third-person point of view of Rob, although the perspective switches briefly to other characters from time to time. The novel presents a good example of what it would be like to live in southern New Mexico in the 1870s. Rob befriends some Mescalero Apache Indians and Mexicans, and he even becomes close with a coyote.
My favorite part of this novel was the exploration of the different cultures, such as some of the beliefs and customs of the Apache Indians. I particularly enjoyed the focus on the theme of the coyote and the Apache belief that the coyote can be the spirit of a departed loved one working to keep you safe. Rob’s relationship with his coyote, Duke, helps him earn the respect and admiration of the Indians he meets. Since my favorite part about historical fiction novels is learning about other cultures, I wish this book would have focused more on themes similar to this one.
Unfortunately, that is where my praise for this novel ends. To be honest, I found it difficult to get through. The first half of the book was extremely slow, simply providing a blow by blow report of Rob and Jessie scouting for and setting up their new ranch. The dialogue was boring and scripted, consisting of the men reporting on the various geological formations or describing how they planned to accomplish tasks in a way that would have been better left to the narrator. About halfway through the book, the story picked up a bit, and while I wouldn’t say it was an exciting read, I did find it easier to finish.
The primary shortcoming of this book was the lack of a main story arc. There was no central problem, no suspense or rising action, and no exciting climax to the book. Rob’s difficulties were few and were all easily overcome. The main antagonist of the book only appeared three times, and even he was simple to deal with. At the end of the book, there was an event which was meant to be the suspenseful climax of the story, but it was written in such a way that the reader never had to question whether everything would turn out okay in the end.
Another issue I had with the book was the lack of character development. Everywhere Rob went, he impressed people and won their goodwill and assistance with his polite manners. He was an excellent leader, and he always had a cool head in times of trouble or stress. He never had room to grow during the story. I found this to be extremely unrealistic when speaking about a nineteen-year-old boy, especially one who had just experienced the trauma of burying his entire family. The other characters were flat as well. The romantic element of the story was boring because the author didn’t take the time to delve into either of the characters or their relationship.
In addition to the writing deficiencies, this book was not professionally edited. I found in excess of ten typographical errors, primarily missing periods and unnecessary commas. I ultimately decided to give this book 2 out of 4 stars, because I did enjoy some of the cultural elements included in the story. As someone who loves historical fictions with a wild west theme, I had high hopes for the book but was ultimately disappointed. I would only recommend this to someone who is extremely interested in geography and topography or who likes to read “a day in the life” style books.
******
Alone on Pasture Ridge
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon