Remember Ben Clayton

by Stephen Harrigan

From the author of the acclaimed best seller The Gates of the Alamo, a new novel that confirms and enlarges Stephen Harrigan’s reputation as a major voice in American fiction.

Francis “Gil” Gilheaney is a sculptor of boundless ambition. But bad fortune and his own prideful spirit have driven him from New York into artistic exile in Texas just after World War I. His adult daughter, Maureen, serves as his assistant, although she has artistic ambitions of her own and is beginning to understand how her own career—perhaps even her life—has become hostage to her driven father’s “wild pursuit of glory.” When Lamar Clayton, an aging, heartbroken rancher, offers Gil a commission to create a memorial statue of his son Ben, who was killed in the war, Gil seizes the opportunity to create what he believes will be his greatest achievement.

As work proceeds on the statue, Gil and Maureen come to realize that their new client is a far more complicated man than he appeared to be on first acquaintance, and that Lamar is guarding a secret that haunts his relationship with his son even in death. But Gil is haunted as by the fear that his work will be forgotten and by an unconscionable lie whose discovery could cost him his daughter’s love. The creation of the statue leads to a chain of dramatic encounters, through which Maureen will test the boundaries of her independence and Gil and Lamar, each in his own painful way, will confront their worth as fathers.

Remember Ben Clayton vividly depicts a rich swath of American history, from the days when the Comanches ruled the Southern plains to the final brutal months of World War I. It ranges from outlaw settlements on the Texas frontier to the cafés of Paris, from Indian encampments to artists’ ateliers to the forgotten battlefield in France where Ben Clayton died. It shows us the all-consuming labor that a monumental work of sculpture demands and the price it exacts from both artist and patron. And with unforgettable power and compassion it presents a deeply moving story about the bonds between fathers and children, and about the power and purpose of art.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Book Club, Historical, Westerns, Family, War

354 pages, Hardcover

First published May 24, 2011

About the author

Stephen Harrigan was born in Oklahoma City in 1948 and has lived in Texas since the age of five, growing up in Abilene and Corpus Christi.
He is a longtime writer for Texas Monthly, and his articles and essays have appeared in a wide range of other publications as well, including The Atlantic, Outside, The New York Times Magazine, Conde Nast Traveler, Audubon, Travel Holiday, Life, American History, National Geographic and Slate. His film column for Texas Monthly was a finalist for the 2015 National Magazine Awards.
Harrigan is the author of nine books of fiction and non-fiction, including The Gates of the Alamo, which became a New York Times bestseller and Notable Book, and received a number of awards, including the TCU Texas Book Award, the Western Heritage Award from the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, and the Spur Award for Best Novel of the West.Remember Ben Clayton was published by Knopf in 2011 and praised by Booklist as a "stunning work of art" and by The Wall Street Journal as a "a poignantly human monument to our history." Remember Ben Clayton also won a Spur Award, as well as the Jesse H. Jones Award from the Texas Institute of Letters and the James Fenimore Cooper Prize, given by the Society of American Historians for the best work of historical fiction. In the Spring of 2013, the University of Texas Press published a career-spanning volume of his essays, The Eye of the Mammoth, which reviewers called “masterful” (from a starred review in Publishers Weekly), “enchanting and irresistible” (the Dallas Morning News) and written with “acuity and matchless prose.”(Booklist). His latest novel is A Friend of Mr. Lincoln.
Among the many movies Harrigan has written for television are HBO’s award-winning The Last of His Tribe, starring Jon Voight and Graham Greene, and King of Texas, a western retelling of Shakespeare’s King Lear for TNT, which starred Patrick Stewart, Marcia Gay Harden, and Roy Scheider. His most recent television production was The Colt, an adaptation of a short story by the Nobel-prize winning author Mikhail Sholokhov, which aired on The Hallmark Channel. For his screenplay of The Colt, Harrigan was nominated for a Writers Guild Award and the Humanitas Prize. Young Caesar, a feature adaptation of Conn Iggulden’s Emperor novels, which he co-wrote with William Broyles, Jr., is currently in development with Exclusive Media.
A 1971 graduate of the University of Texas, Harrigan lives in Austin, where he is a faculty fellow at UT’s James A. Michener Center for Writers and a writer-at-large for Texas Monthly. He is also a founding member of CAST (Capital Area Statues, Inc.) an organization in Austin that commissions monumental works of art as gifts to the city. He is the recipient of the Texas Book Festival’s Texas Writers Award, the Lon Tinkle Award for lifetime achievement from the Texas Institute of Letters, and was recently inducted into the Texas Literary Hall of Fame. Stephen Harrigan and his wife Sue Ellen have three daughters and four grandchildren.

Reviews

[Simon Robs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last year I binged on Larry McMurtry's books (mostly) about Texas and now I've found a worthy companion in Stephen Harrigan to carry that torch of Texas history/lore in storytelling form beginning with this beautifully rendered novel that was inspired by a statue of a young cowboy and his horse (real statue located in Ballanger, TX) who met with tragedy and stood in memorium to a way of life gone with the ages. This book is part "All Quiet on the Western Front" and part "Legends of the Fall" and part "Horseman, Pass By" or at least bits pulled from each in my reading account. An aging Texas rancher whoose embittered son goes off to war in the trenches of France never to return but eternally remembered in bronze - another father and daughter duo struggle through their own legacy to forge that monument - these entwined relationships are slowly stripped of witheld resentment and secret backstory like a staue is revealed from stone its core essence. There's hearbreak aplenty, blood an guts reality and real breakthrough of spirit in these pages. With all the statues coming down recently, many with good reason, it boohoves the steadier thinkers to at least appreciate the artistic skill of depiction and the understanding that history is ugly in its details sure, but we need to remember the sacrifice life most always requires to move beyond, fail better but fail forward as Beckett said. Hella good!

[Joy D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Historical fiction about a West Texas rancher who commissions a statue to commemorate his son Ben, killed in France during WWI, in an attempt to heal the guilt he feels over their contentious relationship. The book is a character study, with all the primary characters and a good number of supporting characters fleshed out to a degree where I sensed their desires, motivations, internal conflicts, ambitions, and regrets.

Both the rancher and the sculptor guard hidden secrets from the past, which adversely impact their relationship and respective family dynamics. I selected this book since it features art in a prominent role, and was rewarded by a beautifully detailed description of how to create a bronze sculpture, not only the process but the artistic aspirations.

The plot is wide-ranging in scope, featuring such components as:
• what is was like to be a soldier during WWI on the Western Front
• descriptions of the West Texas ranching life
• an abduction by the Comanche and being assimilated into a tribe
• a daughter living in the shadow of her famous father
• a friend of the dead soldier learning to live with a severe disfigurement
• an artist’s desire to leave a legacy

I appreciated the author including relevant historical elements, such as references to Joske’s department store in San Antonio, or the methods of post-WWI reconstruction of the French countryside. Harrigan’s writing clearly evokes a past time and place.

Highly recommended to readers who appreciate stories of family dynamics, who enjoy historical fiction, who seek out books containing topics related to art, or who favor deeply developed characters.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was, by far, the best novel I have read in years! If I could give is six stars I would. All of the charcters were fully developed, each with their hidden backstories and emotional secrets. The story envelops you into the time and place and inserts you into the storyline as if you were really there. Stephen Harrigan is a very talented writer and this novel is worthy of consideration for one of the major book awards. I recommend it very highly.

[Anthony Whitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harrigan is an expert at weaving a complex story that keeps you interested until the last page.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would not have picked this one up on my own, so I’m glad my dad suggested it to me. I found this to be a very moving tale that was more about love and loneliness than it was about a sculpture. I do think it could have used some editing and paring down, but no one ever said you can’t skim through the dull bits!

[Margaret Pagnotta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compelling and extremely well written, this is a story of two strong characters shaped by challenging life events. It's also a reflection of how those characteristics affected the lives of both sets of family members, for good and bad. It is very powerful.

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alright here's my latest recommendation if you have any interest in Western settings, art or character development. The plot summary comes across as a little dry, but don't be mislead. Harrigan is an expert storyteller and he unfolds this story with an unexpected brilliancy and depth. The characters are complex and authentic, and their layers are slowly peeled back to reveal loss, secrecy, grief and just pure human nature. The descriptions of the sculptor and his creation process were vivid and imaginative. I'll keep thinking about this one. The writing is excellent, compelling and contemplative.

[Debbie Keen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story takes us to east Texas when a sculptor is commissioned to make a bronze statue of a ranchers son , who was killed in the war in France. The story focuses on the sculptor and his daughter who assists him and is an artist herself. To make the art of a real person, the sculptor needs to learn all that he can about his subject and extracting that information from a closed mouth abrupt father, and people who knew Ben Clayton including someone disfigured in the battle that killed Ben. (He stayed in France, to aware of how hideous he looks and grieving his parents who died before he got home) i enjoyed the writing and the story and have a fondness for stories about the old West.

[Marion · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stephen Harrigan has chosen an interesting time in which to set this story- at the cusp between two worlds. It starts out in San Antonio, Texas just after WWI. It is a time with a living, recent past when Comanches were killing settlers and carrying off their children. It is a time when horses were still the primary mode of transportation, but automobiles were coming on fast. By contrast, it is also a time when a young man went off to war and encountered airplanes and bombs and mechanized weapons as killing machines. And yet, at the heart of the story is the question of what is the purpose of art and the distinction between great art and its modest cousin. Also, Harrigan explores the nature of human connection with all its tensions and flaws, secrets and misunderstandings. A compelling read.

[Renda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book, amazing characters.
Echos of Lonesome Dove with the story of two unique families after World War I. The main characters made tragic mistakes, a fascinating story.

[Lana Lieb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful story in a western setting that takes place after WW1. A father daughter relationship and a man with a complicated past and his relationship with his son who is killed in the war. All the characters and their back stories and secrets kept, are so well developed. I truly will remember this book.

[Sharon Ashby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Character driven historical fiction set at the end of WWI in Texas and France. The men are tough and flawed. Mr. Harrigan's The Gates of the Alamo is still my favorite of his books but this one was a very interesting read.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

A famous sculptor is commissioned to build a statue of a wealthy rancher's late son. Harrigan brilliantly depicts 1920s' Texas, as well as the harrowing battles of WW I. It's a tale of coming to terms with pride and past sins.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really intriguing novel about families, war, loss, and art. Harrigan succeeds in getting us involved in a dual story about Ben Clayton and the artist who will capture him for all time in the Texas wild country, Gil Gilheaney. One of the more interesting characters is Gilheaney's daughter, who comes into her own as an artist and sculptor after failing to help her father in his quest. It is fascinating to see how art is stymied by arthritis (a nice pun for those who are looking for it) and what that problem leads to for the main characters. There are Indian raids and kidnappings, murders and assignations that spice up this novel, but one of the best scenes is the opening one where Gilheaney tries to save a statue he has created--one that is being torn down by the locals for no logical reason. It makes you think about what art is for and what it has to endure to speak to people. This novel will give you a lot to talk about. The Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture had him come speak, and I got to be in the audience and ask him questions about the novel—it was interesting to see it all from his point of view and to hear his critique of his own characters! The book recently won a prize for Texas fiction.

[Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the aftermath of the Great War, sculptor Francis "Gil" Gilheaney, receives a request from an unusual quarter. A rancher in central Texas wants a sculpture of his son who was killed in action in France. So Gil and his partner Maureen, who is also his daughter, travel from their home in San Antonio north to Abilene to meet Lamar Clayton. When they arrive the taciturn Clayton takes them to his ranch. There they discover he wants an equestrian statue, and he wants it placed on a small hill in a remote spot on his ranch. Both Gil and Clayton are stubborn, proud, determined men, both are widowers and both have a strained relationship with their children. With so much in common, they clash immediately and repeatedly, nevertheless Gil sees in this commission a chance for him to create a masterpiece.

In this well written meditation on grief and loss, parallel stories of domestic dynamics and secrets kept from their only children by the fathers provide the rhythm and emotional explosions—more vivid than the descriptions of deadly violence—in Harrigan’s precisely sculpted work of prose art.

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend, who is an avid reader, encouraged me to read Stephen Harrigan's latest book. I had read none of his earlier works. Since she and I have very similar interests, I decided to check it out at my library and read it.

This was a wonderful historical fiction work that dealt with Texas immediately after WWI. I live in Texas and am quite familiar with Texas history, but the information was entirely new to me even though I live in the same area. I was also completely unfamiliar with the work of sculptors and found the details to be fascinating.

I also knew very little about the battles of WWI, and although much of the accounting was horrific, I was glad that I had learned about the courageous men who fought these battles. The stories of the French whose homes and villages were completely destroyed were as inspirational.

There were also duel plots that dealt with parents and their children which added a very "human touch" to the novel.

I now intend to read "The Gates of the Alamo" by Harrigan; I am certain that it will be equally rewarding.

[Glenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a 1920s novel by Stephen Harrigan about a NYC sculptor commissioned by a Texas rancher to create a memorial statue of his son, who died in WWI. Sculptor and rancher are both deeply flawed fathers, and their relationships with their children is a major theme. Folks, keeping secrets from your children is selfish and destructive. I'm not usually a big fan of fiction, and the plot in "Remember Ben Clayton" was sometimes less than believable. But the characters (and their respective dialogs) were strong and rich, evolving with the book. Sometimes I became so engaged in the sculptor and rancher that I wanted to slap them for their lack of empathy and humility. Harrigan's historical detail was also superb. I confess his story left me sad, both about the pain of human relationships and the demands of art. But I see that as evidence of an authorial job done well by Harrigan. A slow read, but worth the effort.

[Lisa Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and it may be a five star book. I listened to it as it won the Audie award for Literary Fiction. Ben Clayton, a young man from Texas, dies in WWI and his father, one of favorite characters, ever, commissions a statue of him to remember his son. The sculptor and his daughter are the other two main characters. They each have their own stories that they bring to the table and when these three get together, it is easy to listen intently at their interactions. Another character, Bens friend in battle, comes into the story from France and my heart loved the vulnerable character from the beginning and throughout. Sculpture itself, as an art form, is another character to be added to the list, as place does in some novels. Thanks to the Audie awards, I added this to my list and loved it.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a rare find. I read it with trepidation as it did not seem like a story line that would be interesting. My book club is reading it and the author is coming to the meeting so I gave it a try. It is about a rancher who hires a sculptor to erect a statue of his son who died in France fighting in World War I. There are several subplots involving the son's friend in the war and the sculptors daughter. The development of the characters was extraordinary especially that of the dead boy's father. I was reminded of the Thorn Birds where all of the characters carry around such heavy burdens based on their past and present lives. A beautifully written and well thought out novel!

[Paula Hebert · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd actually give this book an extra half star, if I could. it's so layered and deep, it examines the lives of two men, two fathers, one wanting a statue to memorialize his son, killed in france during ww1, and the other the sculptor he hires to do the work. both men have compicated pasts, and complicated relationships with their children. it takes you from the bloody warfields of europe to the rough and ready life of the early settlers of texas and the indian wars. it's a story that stays with you long after you have finished reading it.

[Barbara Daly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book. As Stefon would say, "It has everything". It's a story about love, war, art, history and the complicated relationships between family members. In the novel, the main character is commissioned by a grieving father to sculpt a statue to remember his son, who was killed in World War I. The author's idea for the book came from an autobiography of the sculptor, Pompeo Coppini, who was commissioned to do something similar. The statue stands in the courthouse square in Ballinger, TX. Read the book and then go see it. Awesome.

[Kem White · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Remember Ben Clayton" is simply an outstanding novel. The book tells the story of how a sculpture of Ben Clayton, killed in World War I, is created for his bereaved father, Lamar. Sounds kind of dull, right? Trust me on this, it is anything but boring. The story moves forward with a momentum and vibrancy I've seldom encountered in fiction. At times humorous, at times historical, and some times, ineffably sad. Harrigan is in top form. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

[West Hartford Public Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great historical fiction! Two fathers, both with secrets they've kept from their children for years, must come to terms with the past. Set in Texas, World War I France, and New York, this novel is filled with strong characters and universal themes.

[Jennifer F · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the better books I've ever read. Seriously. Beautiful and haunting. I can't possibly recommend it enough.

[Kirk · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Clayton was a different sort of client, someone who was looking for something - redemption, perhaps, or some deeper, sharper pain - that no artist would have any way of providing.”

In the fall of 1919, society was still piecing itself back together after World War I, and renowned sculptor Francis “Gil” Gilheaney was grieving the recent loss of his beloved Pawnee Scout statue to the Omaha Race Riots. After healing from the injuries inflicted upon him while defending the scout, he receives an uncommon bid for a new commission from an unlikely client: Texas rancher Lamar Clayton. Gil and his daughter Maureen, an unmarried and capable assistant with artistic aspirations of her own, travel to Lamar’s property where Gil and Lamar agree on the terms of the contract. Lamar wants a statue of his recently deceased son, World War I casualty Ben Clayton, installed on a broad mesa Ben was known to frequent with his horse.

Gil’s casual curiosity about the unusual project quickly transitions to artistic inspiration. He studies Ben’s horse, Ben’s clothing, and the few available photographs of his subject. He rides the acreage with Lamar, learns to ranch cattle, and ruminates at the site of the monument-to-be. In spite of Gil’s artistic commitment, Lamar isn’t immediately forthcoming about his family background or his relationship with his son, nor is Lamar’s terse housekeeper George’s Mary or his loyal foreman Ernest. Lamar’s reticence initially hinders Gil’s work, but he manages. As Gil and Maureen work on the project together, they have two chance encounters with people Ben knew: his aunt, and a surviving Army friend he served with in the 142nd Infantry. The information they glean from these two acquaintances about Lamar’s own upbringing, it’s effect on Ben, and how Ben carried his angst into battle with him the day he died drastically change the scope of their project. Gil proclaims the Ben Clayton project to be his master work, and he proceeds with little regard for Lamar's caginess.

To say more of the story would be to ruin a truly masterful exercise in diction, description, plot, and character.

Remember Ben Clayton is one of my new favorite books. Kind of like the nautical tour de force Moby-Dick, the titular character in Remember Ben Clayton occupies few scenes but commands the story, which is an uncommon but very tactful contrivance given the books themes about art. What makes a creation Art? What ineffable characteristics give a material piece of work artistic merit? Is it the accuracy of the representation, the artist’s intent, the opinion of the audience, the circumstances commission, or something else entirely? And how does one's skill as an artist translate, or fail to translate, into practical mastery of life’s tangible concerns? This last rhetorical question about a theme in Harrington’s work is made all the more powerful by his tackling of subjects such as familial deceit, the relationship between a parent and their child, and our need to have meaningful relationships with others (be they friends, family, or significant others).

Harrington not only delivers an incredible story about two fathers, but he crafts his story about the two families using an amazing double helix pattern in which the two separate strands weave around each other and contain a breathtaking amount of information, characterization, and imagery. Such elements include the themes detailed above, some rich symbolism, and a wonderful setting near San Antonio, Texas. Furthermore, not only is Harrington's writing about artistic and family sensibilities exceptional, but the opening chapters in which Ben is fighting in World War I are thrilling, and Harrington’s take on the tertiary character of Ben’s friend Arthur from the 142nd Infantry would rival the main protagonist in complexity and empathy in most other books. Harrington’s characterization and narration are that good.

Remember Ben Clayton deserves a spot near Lonesome Dove in the pantheon of great Texas (and, arguably, American) literature, and I’m sure of it despite having read only a fraction of what the Lone Star State has to offer. If you’re interested in artistry, and more specifically sculpting, read this book. If you’re grieving the loss of a loved one, read this book. If you aspire to greatness, read this book. If you want to be humbled by the young men and women who served our country during World War I, read this book. It is not to be missed by anyone.

[Douglas Ogurek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Texas rancher Lamar Clayton commissions aging sculptor Frances “Gil” Gilheaney to create a statue of Clayton’s son Ben, killed by Germans in France during a World War I battle.

It’s probably no coincidence that author Stephen Harrigan chose the name Clayton as the story’s focal point — just as Gil whittles away at the statue of the titular deceased character, the author chips away at each of the four characters drawn together by him. Lamar is haunted by a violent past and the secrets he keeps. Gil, hindered by worsening arthritis, wants to create one masterwork to leave a legacy, and he thinks this sculpture of Ben will be the one. Gil’s daughter Maureen, still unmarried in her thirties, has ambitions of becoming a sculptress. In the aftermath of the war, Ben’s fellow soldier Arthur Fry stays in France, where he deals with a severe injury to his jaw and the loss of his friend.

Particularly fascinating is Lamar’s refusal to show emotion. When Gil first shares a sketch of the statue, Lamar looks at it for a long time but betrays no opinion. At another point, someone asks him a question about his personal life, and he simply doesn’t answer. Nevertheless, as the story progresses, Gil and especially Maureen tap away at Lamar’s complicated history, his tenuous relationship with his sister, and of course, his connection with his son.

There are parallels between Lamar and Gil: they both lost wives, they both had one child, and they both have secrets and terrible pasts, one involving Native American Indians and the other an ultra-Catholic mother and abusive father.

This story is just as much about fatherhood as it is about creating a great work of art. While Lamar must deal with the guilt stemming from the tainted relationship with his deceased son, Gil struggles with Maureen’s reluctance to settle down with a man. He thinks a lot about her lack of attractiveness, and he overlooks her burgeoning but stifled talent as a sculptor.

Maureen is in a tepid relationship with a boastful professor named Vance, who seems unwilling to commit. She also becomes pen pals with Arthur. Maureen’s “deflated acceptance,” like many women of her time, inhibits her quiet ambition, which she doesn’t mention to her father because she doesn’t want him to get too excited.

One of the most intriguing aspects of this book is the author’s description of the artist’s approach. Like a method actor, Gil immerses himself in the life of the subject to capture the right emotional gesture.

Harrigan could have presented the sculpture at the beginning of the novel and then laid out the path toward it. But he does not, and so we as readers do not know if it’s ever going to be completed — thus, it is a pleasure to join Gil as he confronts many obstacles ranging from the curmudgeonly Lamar to human error and Gil’s conception of himself as an artist. Remember Ben Clayton is a moving story that shows how a work of art is not just attributable to one person.

[Scott H · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book very much and the writing was excellent, but this was not at all the book I expected. I was drawn to the story due to it's setting in the West, in this case Texas, and time period just after WWI. Though the setting and time add to the story, it could have been set in another location and time and been just as rewarding. The book was primarily about the relationship of Lamar Clayton with his son Ben, killed in the war in France, and "Gil" Gilheaney, the sculptor of Ben's memorial, with his daughter and assistant, Maureen (and his mother to a lesser degree).
This is the first book I've read from this author and I hope to read more. He is an excellent writer of interesting and complex characters. Gil and Lamar have to be two of the most stubborn men I've ever encountered. Gil does seem to learn from his experience sculpting the memorial and he has the benefit of having the opportunity to improve his relationship with his daughter, who is still alive. Lamar doesn't have that luxury and he doesn't seem to change much. This is most likely tied to the trauma of his childhood kidnapping and death of his family by Indians. I suppose that is a story line that couldn't be recreated if he grew up in the East. He remains bitter throughout as he didn't have the chance to properly reconcile with his son.
As a plus, the author provides a lot of background on the process of creating a bronze statue. I hadn't really thought of the process before, and didn't think I had much interest, but now expect I will have a richer appreciation of the work in creating this type of public art. In anticipation of current events, the story starts out with a mob pulling down a statue Gil created and how upset he was as he thought this was his greatest creation. In the past I haven't thought much about the creators of these artworks and the pride and creativity in these works. Gil was driven by his work and his legacy, even mostly at the expense of his family.

[Genny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not sure I would have picked this up if I hadn't seen the author speak at a local literary series event. An audience member commented this was his favorite book written by Harrigan, an author I am familiar with through his Texas Monthly contributions. This is a 4.5 star addition to my reading list. I was fascinated to read in the Author's Notes that the story is loosely based on a statue that stands in the main square of Ballinger, Texas.
http://www.texasescapes.com/FEATURES/...

The alternate title to this book could be "I've Got A Secret." It is an engrossing tale of grief and the complicated relationships between fathers and children. But it is much more layered than that. The setting is San Antonio, west Texas, the battlefields of France in WWI, with a little Paris and NYC thrown in. It is also a brief lesson in sculpture and the artistic process of bringing a concept to life, as well as the egos involved in creating meaningful art. (I would give it 5 stars but I thought there was a blip in the plot that was a stretch for my tiny mind.)

[Steven Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every now and then you come across a book that reaffirms your faith in literature, and rewards your deepest longings as a reader. This is a wondrous novel. Remember Ben Clayton flows beautifully and clearly and yet is full of depth and texture. Stephen Harrigan brings together so many fascinating aspects of Texas history (such as the children who were captured by Comanches back in the frontier days) and yet his characters are boldly original and compelling. The novel begins well and just keeps gaining momentum as the expertly woven plot threads begin to tie together. This is the sort of novel that helps us understand, and feel, more deeply about what it means to be human. Stephen Harrigan has always been a talented and interesting writer (see Gates of the Alamo, for example) but if this book is any indication, he just keeps getting better and better. At some point we need to stop thinking of Harrigan as a regional writer and think of him as a major American talent. Remember Ben Clayton is a treasure.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book about secrets, the deepest being the one between Lamar Clayton and his son, Ben. It is this secret that creates the tragedy of Ben's death on the battlefield in France during WWI. True, he might have been killed anyway, but the manner of his death hinges on this secret.

To find some salvation (?) from the deep disconnect he had with his son, Ben, Lamar Clayton commissions a statue of Ben and his horse for his ranch. The sculptor he has chosen is Francis Gilheaney (Gil) aided by his daughter, Maureen. Gil, too, harbors a dep secret.

We visit the ranch in in West Texas, the sculptor's studio in San Antonio and lastly the battlefield in France where Ben died. We get to know George's Mary, the housekeeper for Lamar Clayton who unwittingly is part of the secret.

All in all, a deftly told story of a hard boiled rancher and the events that made him that way. Also the art of sculpture, having faith in one's ability and realizing one's dreams.

Rounded up to a 4