Greetings Friends!
Today, I have a REVIEW of THE CAPTIVE BOY by Julia Robb as part of the Lone Star Book Blog Tour.
Date of Publication: December 20, 2015
Scroll down for the giveaway!
“Ms. Robb’s research is evident on every page. Without becoming bogged down in detail, she employs just enough of it to paint an accurate picture of a dangerous and unforgiving time.” ~ Samuel L. Robinson
A priest once disappeared on the Mexican border and that inspired parts of Saint of the Burning Heart. She discovered a hypnotic seducer, who she turned into Ray Cortez, the bad guy in Del Norte. Reading about child Comanche captives and their fates made her want to write about a cavalry colonel who attempts to heal a rescued boy, and that turned into The Captive Boy. Finally, what happens to a man who is in love with another man, in a time and place where the only answer is death? That became Scalp Mountain.
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Combining multiple formats and perspectives, this fascinating story wove together to provide a true to life take on the hardships facing those within the Texas frontier in the late 1800s. Although the crux of this chronicle is Colonel McKenna’s attempt to reintegrate August, we become privvy to the struggles facing soldiers, Native Americans, and settlers alike.
Each character’s account is told through various journal entries, letters, news reports, memoirs, and a serial novel written during that time discovered at West Point. While each narrative moves progressively to reveal profound insights into this time in history as well as introducing compelling subplots, this approach to telling the story was certainly a challenge for me given that I’m not generally a fan of multi-format novels. Some aspects of this style had me invested until I felt suddenly jarred out of the story when the presentation shifted. Despite feeling most connected when reading the doctor’s journal due to my own experiences within the ranks of the military, there were moments I became slightly detached when the story slipped into excerpts from manuscripts. However, personal preference aside, there is no denying that this was an engaging and beautifully descriptive piece of fiction that was not only historically accurate based on the author’s own extensive research, but incredibly readable. As you comb through this fictional anthology, there is a sense that this method of writing allows the reader to feel as though he or she is making history as all the points of view collected from these historical documents are pieced together in a highly climactic ending. This complex style adds layers of authenticity to richly detail tragic and tender moments in the course of a traumatic time in Texas history.
Overall, readers of nonfiction will enjoy this book for its homage to the genre’s more common structural devices while giving fiction fans a remarkable glimpse into history with Robb’s unique storytelling ability.
GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!
JUNE 19-28, 2018
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Many thanks to Lone Star Book Blog Tours and especially Julia Robb! It was an absolute pleasure hosting and reviewing! And be sure to check out the other blogs on the tour for more opinions and author extras!
VISIT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:
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6/19/18
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Book Trailer
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6/19/18
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BONUS POST
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6/20/18
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Review
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6/21/18
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Author Interview
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6/22/18
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Guest Post
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6/23/18
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Review
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6/24/18
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Excerpt 1
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6/25/18
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Excerpt 2
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6/26/18
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Review
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6/27/18
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Top 8 List
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6/28/18
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Review
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That's What She's Reading 
What a fantastic and informative review — really helps the reader know what to expect. Sounds like a fascinating book!
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