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In 1816, Mordecai Lewis, a veteran of Andrew Jackson's Indian campaigns and battles against the British, moves his family into the western Tennessee canebrakes. But Mordecai, a born wanderer, is not satisfied with farming, and with his sons Michael and Andrew and some other backwoodsmen, he leads a foray into Spanish-held Texas to hunt wild horses and return the mustang herd to sell in Tennessee.Crossing the Sabine River, Mordecai's party encounters a Spanish patrol determined to repel all show more American invaders. After a bloody skirmish leaves their father dead, Michael and Andrew find their way back to their Tennessee farm.
Five years later, after the Spanish government in Mexico City has agreed to permit 300 American families to settle in Texas, the Lewis brothers have their opportunity to re-enter Texas. They ride to the frontier town of Natchitoches, Louisiana, where Michael falls in love with Marie Villaret, daughter of a wealthy French landowner, then cross the Sabine to find Stephen F. Austin, a Missouri entrepreneur in charge of the new American colony.
But the Lewises are considered interlopers and horse thieves and are dogged by a patrol led by the same ruthless Spanish offer who killed their father five years before
Sons of Texas is the first volume in a trilogy that follows the lives and adventures of the Lewis family through the era of the Alamo and Texas Independence under Sam Houston.
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Sons of Texas by Elmer Kelton is a Western adventure story about Michael Lewis. Michael worships his wandering father but this time when he leaves, Michael follows. They end up in Texas to gather wild horses to drive back to the settlements to sell. Unfortunately the Mexican soldiers find them before they get safely back across the Sabine River. Everyone in the party is killed and Michael, wounded, is left to die. But the fifteen year old makes it back but swears revenge on Lt. Rodriguez, the officer who killed his father.
Years later, Michael and his younger brother again head out, looking for land for themselves. Michael remembers the rich land of Texas and they head there. Coming across the vicious Lt. Rodriguez again. But this time a show more group of Americans decide to hunt Rodriguez down to make him pay for his many wrongs. By the end of the book, Michael has had his fill of revenge and fallen in love with Maria, a Mexican girl. He and his brother decide to join Steven Austin who is leading a group of homesteaders into Texas to settle.
Lots of action kept this story moving along at a rapid pace. At home Michael was having battles with some low-life neighbours. When they shot his uncle and Michael manage to wound one of them, they swore that they would kill him. On the trail to Texas, Michael and his brother Andrew, had a number of
encounters of which not all of them were friendly. I have found that this is an author that I can rely upon to deliver accurate and well drawn stories where the bad guys are truly bad and the good guys fight to uphold justice. show less
Years later, Michael and his younger brother again head out, looking for land for themselves. Michael remembers the rich land of Texas and they head there. Coming across the vicious Lt. Rodriguez again. But this time a show more group of Americans decide to hunt Rodriguez down to make him pay for his many wrongs. By the end of the book, Michael has had his fill of revenge and fallen in love with Maria, a Mexican girl. He and his brother decide to join Steven Austin who is leading a group of homesteaders into Texas to settle.
Lots of action kept this story moving along at a rapid pace. At home Michael was having battles with some low-life neighbours. When they shot his uncle and Michael manage to wound one of them, they swore that they would kill him. On the trail to Texas, Michael and his brother Andrew, had a number of
encounters of which not all of them were friendly. I have found that this is an author that I can rely upon to deliver accurate and well drawn stories where the bad guys are truly bad and the good guys fight to uphold justice. show less
Predictible. Not as good as a lot of his other books. Didn't feel very sympathetic to the main character.
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120+ Works 4,733 Members
Elmer Kelton was born on April 29, 1926 in west Texas. He earned a degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin and served in Europe during World War II. He worked as a livestock and farm writer for The San Angelo Standard-Times and later as an editor for the specialized publications Sheep and Goat Raiser magazine and Livestock show more Weekly while writing part-time. He wrote more than 60 books which earned him numerous awards and recognitions. He won the Spur award from Western Writers of America six times for his titles Buffalo Wagons, The Day the Cowboys Quit, The Time It Never Rained, Eye of the Hawk, Slaughter, and The Far Canyon. Four of his titles have won the Western Heritage Award from the National Cowboy Hall of Fame, Oklahoma City. In addition, he received the Barbara McCombs/Lon Tinkle Award and the Levi Strauss Golden Saddleman Award from the Western Writers of America. His title The Good Old Boys was made into a television movie in 1995. Kelton also wrote under the pseudonyms Alex Hawk, Lee McElroy and Tom Early. He died on August 22, 2009 at the age of 83. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Series
Common Knowledge
- People/Characters
- Mordecai Lewis; Michael Lewis; Andrew Lewis
- Important places
- Texas, USA
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- Members
- 110
- Popularity
- 294,341
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (3.77)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 14
- UPCs
- 1
- ASINs
- 1
