| Synopsis: |
Essentially, this novel, set at the end of the eighteenth century, shows that cowboys were as much invented in Wales as in Wyoming. Running through this `Welsh Western', which is rich in personalities, adventure and incidents, the storyline has the strong, cultural, emotional and human elements that make Westerns so appealing - by exploring how people act in thedrama of their own lives. Written very much in the style of an old-fashioned western, the engaging characters in this tale ofdrovers (taking a large herd of cattle from the `wild west' of North Wales to London in the 1790s) stake their claim to be the first `cowboys'. What happens in westerns happened here to drovers on their `cattle drive'. Engaging the reader with its authentic period feel and rich in excitement, it tells the rights-of passage tale of a young man seeking to escape his background. Relations between the drovers and the good and bad people they encounter on their cattle drive make for a lively and emotionally rich tale. Combining romance and the romantic appeal of life in the saddle with the struggle to ensure thatrelationships and families survive against all the odds, this book has all the ingredients needed for a satisfying tale of strong individuals tried and tested on life's journey. At heart, it is about `loss', which is, perhaps, the basic story arc of all our lives; losing people, losing cultural heritage, losing our innocence - all in the relentless unfolding of our life's experiences. |