The Snowblind Moon

by John Byrne Cooke

In the late-nineteenth-century American West conflict between beleaguered Indians and white settlers and ranchers draws all into brutal warfare, including a former army scout, a young advocate of Indian rights, a white man raised by the Cheyenne, and a legendary mountain man

Genres: Historical Fiction, Westerns, Fiction

686 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

John Byrne Cooke was an American author of five books, road manager to Janis Joplin from late 1967 until her untimely death in 1970, a musician, a photographer, and a documentary film maker. He was the son of Alistair Cooke, and the great-grandnephew of Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Reviews

[Janith Pathirage · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good debut novel by John Byrne Cooke. When I checked the bio of the author, I got to know that he is coming from a family of writers so the apple hasn't fallen far from the tree indeed. But this is no 'Lonesome Dove'. It's a very slow paced novel. If you adapt this story to a live action movie, it would never become a blockbuster. I can guarantee you that. It would rather be a tv movie which is still re-watchable multiple times. I wasn't eagerly burning through the pages of this massive novel, but it kept my interest throughout.

Also, one of the editions of this book has the most heartbreaking book cover I have ever seen. You won't see much here unless you read this story.



I think this artwork perfectly portraits the downfall of the once mighty Native American tribes. Regardless how hard they fight back, they cant stop the coming storm which is going to change their lives forever. Whoever did this cover deserves an award.

[Louis · Rating 4 out of 5]

When is an epic not an epic but just plain long? That is the conundrum I faced in reading The Snowblind Moon. Having come out around the same time as Lonesome Dove, the book's more than 800 pages seem to offer a similarly memorable reading experience. If only it delivered. The book is only sporadically moving. My reading leads me to mourn the death of adequate editing in the publishing industry. Not just of typos but also of overstuffed prose; this type of careful pruning and thoughtful attention could have removed much from this book and made it much more effective. As it is, it is a collection of melodramas looking for a point. I'm confused; the outbreak of hostilities between the frontier Army and Plains Indians in 1876 promises plenty of compelling storylines. A wasted opportunity that I give three and a half stars because it ended well (once the author figured out which stories were interesting, I suspect).

[John · Rating 1 out of 5]

YES this deserves more than one star but I am angry that it took up so much of my reading time for nothing, I did not care about any of the characters or situations as written . already knew about the historical facts so it bored me for 800 pages. I need to learn to put a book down when so but always feel guilty if if I do so and always go back to finish it, did so 4 times with this.

[Carey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read hundreds of Westerns and I rate this "Novel of the West" as my all-time favorite. It will appeal to fans of Historical Fiction as well.
Be sure and Google author John Byrne Cook.

[Michael M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Growing up in Wyoming I traveled not only the story of this author's writing but, the many trails described. Although set in a fictional point of place within my beloved Big Horn Mtns. the author may not even be aware of just how close he has come to reality on the ground of certain valleys, mountain peaks, streams and the history of the region.
The artist of the book cover has so perfectly put the boook into the text of the era before highways in the location of what is known now-a-days as 'Tensleep Canyon' approaching from the western edge of the Big Horn Mountains just above the region known in the Indian history as "Ten-Sleeps" (the number of 'sleeps' it took to get from one main camp to the other through 'Big Trails' country and of which now sets the present day town of Tensleep from which it got its name. This was also a part of the historical region that evaded law officers of the Old West for so many years to break through known as the 'Outlaw Trails' as it followed the old 'Indian Trails' and was highly regarded and protected by both. Even today one can walk these regions and 'feel' the history steeped in the canyon rocks and upon these old trails the Indians fought so hard to keep as the lands they had always known as home of which the white man was bound and determined to take away by any means.
I would love to have seen John Byrne Cook take this book into a triology writing. There is still lots in the book to build from!

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Between the Worlds: Snowblind Moon, Part 1
Cooke, John Byrne
Given to me while I was in Australia, it was interesting to watch a man cross the landscape from east to west, over my home land in another country. It was a dynamic story of survival

[Misfit]

Copy just landed thanks to Tara. Looks interesting.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book and a good story about trying to move the indians onto reservations. Parts of it were long and detailed but the story was great.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ambitious, epic. Characters less memorable than Lonesome Dove.