“Smoking Springs” by Robert C. Mowry

Trails West

This is a fictional tale that takes place during the Civil War in The New Mexico Territory.  There is lots of action and adventure as the story unfolds of Texan Judah Ward who joined the Confederate cause with his cousin, Sam Houston McCoy.  At this time, the Confederate army is a rag-tag group that is almost starving, and is out-numbered.

This book follows Judah through military battles, shocking betrayal from a fellow soldier, Indian attacks, and dealing with sometimes deadly weather.  Judah also suffers horrible wounds that are so serious, it is doubtful he will live–and if he does, Judah will lose part, if not all, of a limb.  His Cousin Sam sticks by Judah through battles, and searches for medical care and help for him.

This is a clean story that has lots of twists and turns.  The tale also includes mining for gold, a small amount of romance, and a dysfunctional parental relationship.  There are many diverse characters, and they are well-developed.  The situations and people are believable.  I especially enjoyed the parts where individuals questioned God’s existence, and the conclusions that were drawn.  Also, I really appreciated the underlying theme of the story which was everyone deserves fair treatment.  A good example of this was Judah’s statement about how Bones should be compensated towards the end of the story–and the gift Judah gave to him.   I recommend this five-star book to anyone who enjoys tales of the Old West or the Civil War.

The author provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for the purpose of review.   All opinions expressed are my own, and I was not required, or influenced, to give anything but an honest review. I have not been compensated in any other manner.

Author’s Website:   http://rcmowry.com/