The Daybreakers

Having never read L'Amour before, I wasn't sure how I was going to take to him. I grew up on the American TV Western, loved Lonesome Dove, and Robert B. Parker's various forays into the Old West, and Mary Doria Russell's Doc, but I expected L'Amour to be more "pulpy", y'know? The kind of stuff teenaged boys read before there was James Bond and Star Trek? Wellllll.....it is, and it really isn't.

This is the story of two of the Sacketts--Orrin and his younger brother Tyrel (Tye), who leave their difficult existence in the Tennessee hills to go west in search of a piece of land where they can move their mother and brothers to live in better circumstances. Naturally, they run into the usual hardships and challenges along the way, but there show more were way fewer stereotypes than I feared; our hero's (that would be Tye) attitude toward women, Mexicans and Native Americans is nuanced enough. His moral compass is nearly faultless, although he does have to struggle with it--again, just enough. His ability to bounce back from encounters with flying lead stretches credulity pretty far. But, as with all the best genre fiction, the pages just seemed to turn themselves. show less

This is the first "Sackett" novel I have read in a long time and it turned out to be a re-read, and a quick one at that. But that is OK. The story is a good one, a story of two brothers who go west from the Tennessee hills to make something of themselves and find a home for "ma". By the end they are somewhere around Santa Fe. Really though it is the story of one Sackett, Tyrel, who tells us this story, which starts about 1867, as that year appears near the beginning. L'Amour lays things on a little too thick for me at times. And Tyrel seems to talk different than anyone else, with sight and mayhap being peculiar recurring affectations. "Two hundred dollars was a sight of money, those days, cash money being a shy thing." "Mayhap that was show more the moment when I changed from a boy into a man."

Tyrel is more honest than Abe Lincoln and he may not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but he seems to be able to avoid getting killed where most men would not. I like the overall story a lot, although the end is a little sad. I doubt westerns will ever be my 'go to' genre for entertainment, but they are fine for a read now and then.

Some readers think that "show don't tell" is very important to a good story. I sit on the fence on that issue - sometimes telling is fine and serves a purpose. This novel however, for me mind you, is an example of excess telling. Normally it doesn't bother me but here it did. For example, we are told told told things about Tye's brother Orrin and we see scant few examples of what we are told. Orrin many times comes across as something of a big galoof making poor choices and not someone predestined to become the governor of New Mexico or whatever. Although this is Tye's story and his telling, this big buildup and supposed predestination of Orrin results in some sad consequences. show less

It has been a long time since I read any of the Sackett books but I have to say that I still enjoyed it as much as I ever did. I started reading L'Amour because he was a favorite of my dad and grandfather, but I kept reading them because they are such good stories. L'Amour has a gift of being able to describe a place or event so that you feel that you are there. This book is told in the first person by Tyrel Sackett, who at the beginning is eighteen years old. When he killed a man who was trying to kill his brother he decided it was time to go west and start a new life. His brother caught up with him and they got a job as cowboys. From there they decided to earn the money to start a ranch of their own that they can then bring their mom show more and younger brothers to. They have to deal with many things they had never experienced before, but they were quick learners and did quite well. Both realized that they needed an education. At that time many people were self taught, so once they learned to read they read everything they could get their hands on. I loved the way that L'Amour showed the reverence people had for books and how important reading became to them. I also loved the interactions among the various people and how it showed a terrific picture of the way life was in the old west. I really enjoyed Tyrel's shyness at first when he was getting to know Drusilla and how he was eventually able to overcome it. There was also plenty of action as he had to contend with rustlers, Indians, various outlaws and land grabbers. I really liked Tyrel's way of keeping his view of right and wrong and the way that he tried to come out on the good side. One of my favorite lines in the book is when Tyrel is talking about dealing with the folks who are causing trouble in town: "People have a greater tolerance for evil than for violence. If crooked gambling, thieving and robbing are covered over folks will tolerate it longer than outright violence, even when the violence may be cleansing." show less

The Sacketts are a formidable family, and Tyrel Sackett certainly lives up to that reputation. He doesn’t back down from a fight, and while he doesn’t go looking for trouble, he is not adverse to shooting someone if the situation calls for it. There is plenty of action in this tale. Protecting others and himself from Indians, rustlers, and bad men is all in a day’s work for Tye. Louis L’Amour can sure spin a tale, and this is just another fine example of his extraordinary talent.

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Title: The Daybreakers
Series: Sacketts #6
Author: Louis L'Amour
Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Western
Pages: 224
Format: Digital Edition

Synopsis:

Tyrel and Orrin Sackett leave the hills of Kentucky/whatever after killing a nogood scum. Joining a cattle herder, both young men begin the process of growing up and becoming respectable men. After learning how to herd cows, they set out to create their own herd. During this time they come across a mexican Don show more and his granddaughter and a huckster and his daughter from New England. Ty and Orrin eventually become lawman and mayor. When Orrin, who is now married to the blonde new englander runs for state senate, her father hires killers to take out Orrin to put his own man in power. It is up to Ty to keep his brother's hands clean protect him and rescue the Don's granddaughter.

Just a day's work for a Sackett.

My Thoughts:

I mainly remember this from the movie, The Sacketts, starring Tom Selleck and Sam Elliot. You know what, there really is nobody who more fits the image of the rough and tough Sackett brothers than those two. Those guys are who I think of when it comes to your generic Western characters.

Anyway, this book covers a good amount of time. Enough for both boys to go from cowpunchers to established politician and lawman. Don't blink or you'll miss a couple of months. Part of the disconnect is that the cattle drives take months and months but only take a couple of paragraphs.

There is a lot of fighting, like you'd expect in a western. A couple of one on one shootouts, lots of Ty facing down various men, some killers, some just hardheads who needed a bit of fear put into their lives to give them perspective. The swell of civilization westward seems to happen quickly as well, but much like what we see happening on the internet today with torrent and sharing sites, it was inevitable. The speed at which humanity can communicate determines how fast things will change to accommodate the greatest number.

It was also very interesting to see L'Amour characterize someone from New England. And uptight scammer. It made me laugh because the kind of person from New England who couldn't stay in New England would be exactly that. Spot on.

★★★☆ ½ show less

This is my favorite Sackett Story so far. The Daybreakers tells the story of Orrin and Tyrel Sackett who have to leave their home in Tennessee in a hurry, one step ahead of the sheriff, and head west. It is 1867 and their plan is too try and establish a ranch and then sent for their Mother and the rest of the clan.

The two brothers travel across the west and have many adventures that include fighting Indians, rustlers and other assorted bad guys. They work hard to get ahead and also to improve themselves. Along the way they meet many interesting characters and some beautiful women, both of the good and bad types. Making the right life choices, and fighting for justice, this book lays the groundwork for the western Sackett stories to show more follow.

This book makes me eager to read on and find out what happens to this family next. I found Tyrel particularly an enjoyable character, and although L’Amour relies on many of the same plot tricks to develop his stories, this was a fun read. show less

Tye and Orrin Sackett head west from the Tennessee hills, to make their fortune as well as find a home for their ma. They have their share of trials with herding longhorns, fighting Utes, and standing up to lawless gunmen.

This was the first published book about the Sackett family, and I think it’s one of the best. The situations are genuine, the characters are fleshed-out, real, and it was a great pleasure to spend time with them and their riding partners again for this reread.