When L'Amour sets out to write a serious book, he writes a really serious book. What these boys go through in this story -- it's no picnic.
Tyrel Sackett saves his brother Orrin from getting shot on his wedding day. Orrin's bride-to-be takes the bullet instead, all part of the Sacketts' feud with the Higginses. Tye downs her murderer, the last of the Higgins clan, then flees Tennessee for the West. Orrin comes along because, well, his bride was just killed at the altar and he really doesn't have any use for Tennessee anymore just then.
Tyrel and Orrin take odd jobs here and there, mainly herding cows, and make friends with a couple men called Tom Sunday and Cap Rountree. The four of them get the idea to start rounding up wild cattle and selling them, and they wind up down near Santa Fe. Orrin falls for Laura Pritts, daughter of Johnathon Pritts, who is a no-good conniver. Tye falls for Drusilla Alvarado, daughter of a wealthy and honorable Mexican don. Then commences what basically becomes another feud like the one Tye and Orrin fled, only it's a Pritts-Alvarado feud instead, and they get tangled up in it.
There's a lot of symmetry in this book, like how the two feuds get contrasted, and also the two women the brothers fall for being very different, too. Tyrel and Orrin also get compared a bit, but only here and there. Still, you could say they're foils for each other, as the choices of one highlight the different choices of the other. The book ends with a killing just like it began, too.
It really digs into some deep subjects, too, like the importance of loyalty and community, the dangers of stubbornness, and the value of family relationships.
The Daybreakers was so good, I had to pause every chapter or so to just digest and enjoy and revel in it. Definitely one of the best L'Amour books I have read! Also, Tye may describe himself as ornery and contrary and mean, but I found him pretty dreamy, tbh.
Particularly Good Bits:
There would be trouble enough, but man is born to trouble, and it is best to meet it when it comes and not lose sleep until it does (p. 8).
Reed Carney wanted a shoot out and he wanted to win, but me, I'm more than average contrary (p. 23).
If This was a Movie, I Would Rate It: PG for some mild cussing, alcohol use, and multiple scenes of western violence.
This was my 34th book read from my TBR shelves for #TheUnreadShelfProject2023.
I have finally returned from my Travels (TM) and I am so excited to finally get to read your "Daybreakers" review! I'm really glad you loved it. It's such a fantastic book. And Tye is just a delight. I love his dry, matter-of-fact, yet slightly ironic narrative style. I think L'Amour's writing shines the brightest when he writes in the first person POV, and "Daybreakers" is a great example of that.
ReplyDeleteKatie, glad you have returned safely! And, yes -- Tye's narration is delightful. I love his little observations, like the one I quoted above about being "more than average contrary." I don't have an overall preference for 3rd or 1st POV for L'Amour, but sometimes a book is particularly well suited to one or the other, like this one :-D
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