Ride the Desperate Trail

Mike Kearby
Trail's End Books (2007)
ISBN 0978842278
Reviewed by Ian McCurley (Age 13) for Reader Views (3/07)

Free Anderson is an ex-Missouri slave, civil war sergeant and the husband of Clara Anderson.  He lives with his aging mother on his newly-built farm in west Texas.  He and his best friend, Parks Scott, are riding through The Flats one day when they hear that a man has been beaten savagely by two rowdy cowboys.  Stepping into the bar where the cowboys are drinkin’, Parks is forced to shoot one of them.  Unfortunately, that cowboy is Chase Hardy, brother of the infamous Tig Hardy.  With Chase’s friend, Jordie, heading up towards Tig to tell him the news, Free knows he must ride to his homestead and warn Clara and his mother about the impending danger.  As he and Parks ride to their respective homesteads, Tig Hardy and Jordie kill Free’s mother and kidnap Clara.  He arrives too late; his dying mother delivers a message that Tig Hardy is heading toward the Guadalupes and has Clara.  Without waiting for Parks, Free rides to the Guadalupes.  After Free has left, Parks arrives at the Anderson homestead and finds the message Free left for him on a piece of timber, and a fresh grave.  Simultaneously, Clara convinces Jordie to run from Tig and take her with him.  Clara and Jordie reach the Sand Hills where Clara escapes from Jordie and meets up with McCaslin. He is secretly an accomplice of Tig’s and helps to recapture Clara after Tig kills Jordie.  As Free and Parks join up, McCaslin and Tig are killed by the Apache Indians.  Then, Clara is taken captive by the Apaches.  As she is taken to the Apache winter camp, Free and Parks must find the camp, get her back and survive. 

“Ride the Desperate Trail” is a story about a unique friendship between a black man and a white man after the Civil War.  It is also an outstanding example of a true western, and an overall good book.  You’ll enjoy this if you like reading westerns.    Mike Kearby writes phenomenally in his book.

This book is for ages 12 and up.  Watch out for Mike Kearby’s next book, “Ambush at Mustang Canyon:  The End of the Trail”.

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