Orphaned and left to fend for themselves, three teen brothers must learn how work together to survive in the American Old West.
Allen, Paul, and Chet never knew an easy life. Orphaned two years ago, their uncle Barnaby was appointed guardian until each is old enough to claim his share of the cattle ranch willed to them by their father. But the lure of gold and riches is too powerful for Barnaby to ignore. He soon departs, leaving the trio to fend for themselves as he hopes to strike it rich.
Others, who have long coveted the ranch, eagerly swoop in. They will stop at nothing either to have the land given to them or take it by force. The brothers are soon entangled in a web of rustlers, greed, and robbers trying to steal everything from them. With their uncle gone and no other family, their land is the only thing they have left. Allen, Paul, and Chet learn what it means to become a man, stand their ground and work as one to save their ranch – and each other.
Failure isn’t an option. Time is running out and the wolves are closing in.
My Review
I chose to read this book after receiving a free e-copy from Reedsy. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.
Allen, Paul, and Chet are teenage brothers whose parents have died, and their Uncle Barnaby is their guardian. The boys, however, are usually on their own because their uncle is looking for gold. Since Allen is the oldest, he feels responsible for his brothers as well as running the ranch. It’s a huge burden for a teenager to bear, and it weighs on him heavily.
One day when Allen is out, Chet and Paul’s horses are stolen. This is just the first in a chain of events that have the brothers reeling. It seems that not only is Captain Grady after their ranch, but there is a gang looking for their uncle. Allen finally decides that he needs to track down their uncle before they lose everything or before they lose their uncle.
The boys’ characters are realistic and well developed. Allen’s serious demeanor is understandable since he feels that he is responsible for everyone and the ranch. His younger brothers are more carefree, but they help run the ranch without complaint. When their ranch and then even their lives are threatened, they keep their cool and do what needs to be done. These boys have truly grown to be men, and even Allen realizes it.
The other characters in the story include Ike Watson, an old man who helps them and is a unique individual. Captain Grady, on the other hand, is evil and shows no redeeming qualities at all.
This story is a page turner with the different journeys the boys have to take looking for horses, horse thieves, and their uncle. There were times that it was tense such as when Chet and Paul went through a place called Demon Hollow in the middle of the night. The descriptions were enough to make me tense reading it! There were also some horrific moments that made me cringe.
Brothers Three is a young adult historical fiction novel that I recommend although it does need proofreading.
My review on Reedsy Discovery.
About the Author
C.W. James is the pen name of an author who lives in rural Northern Nevada with two rescue cats. He enjoys hiking and movies from the Golden Age of Hollywood. He has traditionally published juvenile nonfiction books from Carolrhoda Books and Capstone Press, and about two dozen magazine articles.
Bound 4 Escape 