Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
For readers of True Grit, The Sisters Brothers, and Winter's Bone, a young girl's odyssey to avenge her mother's death by tracking and killing the panther that claimed her life. In 1860s Texas hill country, in the midst of the Civil War, young Samantha (Sam) Shreve is rescued by her mother, Juda, from a panther, only to witness that same panther kill her mother while Sam, age six, looks on helplessly from the branches of a nearby tree. Forever after, Sam is determined that one day she will track and kill the panther and avenge her mother's death. The intervening years see the legend of the panther, El Demonio De Dos Dedos, grow throughout the region.
At the age of twelve, Sam enlists her half brother, Benjamin, both of them now orphans, along with Pacheco, a gallant Mexican outlaw, and Preacher Dob, a guilt-ridden minister with an aged but unstoppable tracking dog named Zechariah. This small but mighty group must frequently thwart a sadistic Confederate soldier, Clarence Hanlin, and in so doing, they bind together ever stronger on their quest for righteousness. Narrated by Benjamin, THE WHICH WAY TREE is a timeless story, and an adventure of love, family, and revenge.
Synopsis
The dangerous and poignant odyssey of a tenacious young girl who boldly traverses the Texas frontier as she seeks to avenge her mother's death
"When I began to read this book its unique voice appealed to me immediately. Elizabeth Crook has written a beautiful novel with wonderful characters."-Robert Duvall
"A small-scale masterwork, richly detailed and beautifully rendered."-S. C. Gwynne, New York Times bestselling author of Empire of the Summer Moon
Early one morning in the remote Hill Country of Texas a panther attacks a family of homesteaders, mauling a young girl named Samantha and killing her mother, a former slave - whose final act is to save her daughter's life. Samantha and her half brother, Benjamin, survive, but she is left traumatized, her face horribly scarred.
Narrated in Benjamin's beguilingly plainspoken voice, The Which Way Tree is the story of Samantha's relentless determination to stalk and kill the notorious panther and avenge her mother's death. In this quest she and Benjamin, now orphaned, enlist a charismatic Tejano outlaw and a haunted, compassionate preacher with an aging but unstoppable tracking dog. As the members of this unlikely posse hunt the panther, they are in turn pursued by a hapless but sadistic Confederate soldier with a score to settle.
In the tradition of the great pursuit narratives, The Which Way Tree is a breathtaking tale of revenge against an implacable and unknowable beast. Yet with the comedic undertones of Benjamin's storytelling, it is also a timeless story full of warmth and humor, and a testament to the enduring love between a sister and brother in an adventure whose legend will last a lifetime.
Synopsis
"A ripping adventure with] a show-stopping finale."--Wall Street Journal
"The stuff of legends."--Attica Locke
"Powerful, sly, and often charming."--Daniel Woodrell
The poignant odyssey of a tenacious young girl who braves the dangers of the Texas frontier to avenge her mother's death
Early one morning in the remote hill country of Texas, a panther savagely attacks a family of homesteaders, mauling a young girl named Samantha and killing her mother, whose final act is to save her daughter's life. Samantha and her half brother, Benjamin, survive, but she is left traumatized, her face horribly scarred.
Narrated in Benjamin's beguilingly plainspoken voice, The Which Way Tree is the story of Samantha's unshakeable resolve to stalk and kill the infamous panther, rumored across the Rio Grande to be a demon, and avenge her mother's death. In their quest she and Benjamin, now orphaned, enlist a charismatic Tejano outlaw and a haunted, compassionate preacher with an aging but relentless tracking dog. As the members of this unlikely posse hunt the panther, they are in turn pursued by a hapless but sadistic Confederate soldier with troubled family ties to the preacher and a score to settle.
In the tradition of the great pursuit narratives, The Which Way Tree is a breathtaking saga of one steadfast girl's revenge against an implacable and unknowable beast. Yet with the comedic undertones of Benjamin's storytelling, it is also a timeless tale full of warmth and humor, and a testament to the enduring love that carries a sister and brother through a perilous adventure with all the dimensions of a legend.
Synopsis
The poignant odyssey of a tenacious young girl who braves the dangers of the Texas frontier to avenge her mother's death. Early one morning in the remote hill country of Texas, a panther savagely attacks a family of homesteaders, mauling a young girl named Samantha and killing her mother, whose final act is to save her daughter's life. Samantha and her half brother, Benjamin, survive, but she is left traumatized, her face horribly scarred.
Narrated in Benjamin's beguilingly plainspoken voice, The Which Way Tree is the story of Samantha's unshakeable resolve to stalk and kill the infamous panther, rumored across the Rio Grande to be a demon, and avenge her mother's death. In their quest she and Benjamin, now orphaned, enlist a charismatic Tejano outlaw and a haunted, compassionate preacher with an aging but relentless tracking dog. As the members of this unlikely posse hunt the panther, they are in turn pursued by a hapless but sadistic Confederate soldier with troubled family ties to the preacher and a score to settle.
In the tradition of the great pursuit narratives, The Which Way Tree is a breathtaking saga of one steadfast girl's revenge against an implacable and unknowable beast. Yet with the comedic undertones of Benjamin's storytelling, it is also a timeless tale full of warmth and humor, and a testament to the enduring love that carries a sister and brother through a perilous adventure with all the dimensions of a legend.
A ripping adventure with] a show-stopping finale.-Wall Street Journal
The stuff of legends.-Attica Locke
Powerful, sly, and often charming.-Daniel Woodrell