The loving wrath of Eldon Quint : a novel

In the lawless territories of the Old West, Eldon Quint and his young son must journey to Missouri to bury his recently deceased child, while being pursued by his criminal brother. Meanwhile, in the newly emancipated south, an ambitious black housemaid, Minn Barker, makes a daring escape from her lecherous overlord--and father to her unborn child--to pursue her dream of attending one of the first black colleges in America. A chance run-in brings Eldon and Minn, setting the stage for an unexpected future together.

Format:

Book

Length:

369 pages ;

Copies:

Available:*

Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
Fiction	F/PLETT/LOVIN	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

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Summary

"Pletts's ambitious debut weaves our history into an intense narrative for today's readers." --Alan Geoffrion, author of Broken Trail

Eldon Quint toils as a farmer on the Dakota frontier. The widowed father leaves the faintest impression as he moves through the world, wishing to shield his sons from the violence that shaped his own childhood.

His twin brother, an outlaw known by his chosen name--Jack Foss--leaves only bloodshed in his wake.

After years of estrangement end in violence on a winter morning in 1883, the farmer Eldon Quint sets off to rid the world of the outlaw Jack Foss once and for all.

Reviews (1)

Booklist Review

In this entertaining and thought-provoking debut, farmer Eldon Quint, who lives on the frontier with his two young sons, is pursued by a gang of armed men in a blinding blizzard. Eldon is confused until he stumbles upon his identical twin brother, Clayton, aka the outlaw Jack Foss. The shootout moves to Eldon's home and leaves one of his sons dead. Told from the alternating viewpoints of Eldon and Clayton, the novel follows Eldon as he makes his way to Springfield, Missouri, to bury his child while dodging those who mistake him for his brother, as Clayton desperately follows, trying to keep the family safe. This is a modern take on the classic western with a satisfying dash of psychological suspense, flashbacks, and plenty of Wild West action. It is about survival, permeated with violence and revenge, but it is also a tale of redemption strikingly anchored by familial love. A clear winner for fans of westerns driven by flawed but sympathetic characters on a family-focused quest such as Paulette Jiles' News of the World (2016) or Charles Portis' classic, True Grit.