The Way of the Coyote

Texas Rangers #3

by Elmer Kelton

The Civil War has ended, and Union soldiers and federal officials have taken control of Texas as Rusty Shannon rides to his home on the Colorado River. As a child he was a captive of the Comanche, as a young man a proud member of a ranging company protecting settlers from Indian raids. Shannon's fate is intertwined with the young man accompanying him: Andy Pickard, himself but recently rescued from Comanche captivity and known by his captors as Badger Boy. Texas is in turmoil, overrun with murderous outlaws, lawmen exacting penalties from suspected former Confederates, nightriders, and the ever-dangerous Comanche bands. In this tempestuous time and place, Rusty tries desperately to resume his prewar life. His friend Shanty, a freed slave, is burned out of his home by the Ku Klux Klan; his own homestead is confiscated by his special nemesis, the murderous Oldham brothers; and the son of a girl he once loved is kidnapped by Comanches. Elmer Kelton, a master of novelist of the American West, literature, has crafted a satisfying and remarkably accurate tale of Texas life at the end of the Civil War.

Elmer Kelton, most honored of all Western writers, writes of the formative years of the Texas Rangers with the knowledge of a native Texan and the skill of a master storyteller. In Rusty Shannon, tough and smart--necessary survival attributes on the 1860s Texas frontier--Kelton has created one of the most memorable characters in modern Western fiction.

Genres: Westerns, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Novels, Historical

272 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Elmer Kelton (1926-2009) was award-winning author of more than forty novels, including The Time It Never Rained, Other Men’s Horses, Texas Standoff and Hard Trail to Follow. He grew up on a ranch near Crane, Texas, and earned a journalism degree from the University of Texas. His first novel, Hot Iron, was published in 1956. Among his awards have been seven Spurs from Western Writers of America and four Western Heritage awards from the National Cowboy Hall of Fame. His novel The Good Old Boys was made into a television film starring Tommy Lee Jones. In addition to his novels, Kelton worked as an agricultural journalist for 42 years. He served in the infantry in World War II. He died in 2009.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/elmerk...

Reviews

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fate of Texas is at hand and Kelton has readers turning pages, eager to find out about it. He creates characters more complex than L'Amore: surprisingly strong elements of humanity, remorse, reversals of fortune, and nobility....along with humor like that of Mark Twain. They aare tough and smart---necassary survival on the 1860's Texas frontier.

[James Mullenix · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Way Of The Coyote by Elmore Kelton

This is the third book of Elmore's Texas Rangers Series and I have not been able to put it down. Elmore is an outstanding author and I am in love with his books. I am by no means a huge reader but I can read these books all day! If you have not read them then you are missing out!

[Chrisl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kelton's Texas Rangers series doesn't have the strength of his Texas Tradition series. Enjoyed first time through but no re-read desire. It won the Spur award in 2002!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spur_Aw...

[Penny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, he has me hooked on these characters so I will continue to read the series. I love all the detail about early Texas politics and the War Between the States and how it affected the citizens.

[Joni · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Badger Boy takes the place of lead character in this story and readers go along on his adventure. The story starts slow but at the halfway mark I finished the book in one sitting.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

a 5 without any doubt, so many great characters and plot swings. If you have never read a western, this would be a great one to start with. PERFECT

[Joseph Dorris · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third in the series of nine books on the Texas Rangers, Andy Pickard, known as Badger Boy, a captive boy raised as a Comanche, has to find his way in a white world. Set after the Civil War during the time the North continued to extract vengeance on the South and when the Indians on the frontier had become emboldened, Kelton shows how difficult it was to return to the more peaceful pre-war days. Again, a master story with strong plot and character development and unwavering action.

[Topher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the conclusion of the original trilogy that got expanded into the Texas Rangers series from Kelton. As such, it picks up immediately where Badger Boy left off, and wraps things up somewhat nicely by the end. If I didn't like Kelton's writing, I'd be perfectly comfortable walking away from the series at this point. However, I do like his writing, so I'm going to keep reading the rest of this series. =-)

[David Mann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like it’s predecessors, this third installment of Kelton’s Ranger series is action-packed, with great character development, but ultimately lacking in literary merit.

Kelton scored big in my book with “The Time it Never Rained” and “The Good Old Boys”, but much of his other works, while authentic and enjoyable are not particularly profound. This series is fine genre-fiction, but offers little more.

[Yankey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plain old western fun. Goodun's vs badun's. Stoic, devoted, deeply moral cowboys battle swindlers, murders, land grabbers and corrupt politicians. Oh, I can't forget the innocent young beauty waiting home for the hero to return.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This the third book in the Texas Ranger series by Elmer Kelton was absolutely riveting. The action came flying off the pages so quick that I just couldn't put the book down. By now you have come to know all the characters and deeokt care about their exploits and what happens to them. Rusty Shannon former Texas Ranger and main character finds himself waist deep in trouble from his old nemesis the Oldhams who steal his farm by making it seem that he hadn't paid his taxes, and trouble brews with his ward Andy Pickhard/Badger Boy who is more Indian than Texan, and to the Monahan's who had one of their own captured by Indians. Kelton carries us deeper into the yarn engulfing us into the despair so much so that you can get lost in the pages as it takes you deep into the Lone Star State and beyond. Kelton can craft and pen a story so it takes hold and makes you feel like you have went back in time and experience it yourself. This like so many of his books, makes you want to pick up the next and see where it takes you!!

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the conclusion of the Civil War, Texas was embroiled with outlaws, Comanche bands, immoral lawmen, and poor governance.
Young Andy Pickard had been kidnapped by Comanches and raised as Badger Boy. He was rescued by Rusty Shannon, also once a captive of the Comanches, and a former ranger. No longer an Indian, Randy had to adjust to life much different from that of his Indian family. Both Randy and Rusty had to come to terms with the loss of their parents and place of belonging.

The writing was not the best, but the believable characters, some with strong moral convictions (I especially liked Shanty, a freed slave.); interesting plot swings; and humor all contributed to a good and easy read.

The author was named the greatest Western author of all time by the Western Writers of America in 1995.

[Dale Grauman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Andy struggles to adjust to Texas society, having been raised by the Comanches who killed his parents. Meanwhile, Rusty is split between factions in Texas society: Union or Confederate sympathizers, carpetbagger opportunists or Klansman. The difficulty these characters have constructing a group identity is the most interesting element of the novel. Which flawed people are *my* people?

I read this because it won a Spur Award. I didn't realize that it was part of a series. Not bad. May have been better if I had read the first two books in the series first. Not good enough to persuade me to read the other two books.

[Joe Stack · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an easy, enjoyable read with memorable characters you want to return to. There is some humor and interesting plot swings. This story is not a simply bad guy versus good guy. Revenge and attitudes left over from the Civil War feed the conflicts and action in this story. Not all are shoot ‘em ups. This is more of a character driven story, and there are quite a few characters involved. The hero or heroes are not the Shane or Dirty Harry type.

The author’s detailed descriptions are wonderful. There is just enough minutiae by Kelton to fill the reader’s imagination and reveals that his knowledge of working, living, traveling, and survival in the west, in this case, Texas.

The brief discourses on Reconstruction in Texas are informative as is the cultural comparisons between the Comanches and white civilization.

[Clara Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of the few novels that deal with the corruption of the Reconstruction government in the South following the War Between the States. Kelton show how the carpetbagger and scalawags worked to seize property of white southern farmers and were often quiet successful.

[Timothy Roark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it!!!

I am really enjoying this series. This is book #3 in the Texas Rangers series and each book keeps getting better. I look forward to book #4.

[Cindy Hiday · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tightly plotted story, believable, emotional, satisfying ending. I will be looking for other titles by Elmer Kelton.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

#3 in the Texas Rangers series. 2001 series entry by author Elmer Kelton is set in 1865 Texas.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

audio even without the excellent narration this story made me want to go on to the next book.

[Paulette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoying this series which is quite different from watching the old Lone Ranger!

[Susan Grunenwald · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book.
Great plot, looked forward to reading everyday. Look forward to more of Elmer Kelton books

[Art · Rating 3 out of 5]

I continue to be captivated by this old series. Luckily, many books remain.

[Jeff Tankersley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jeff Book Review #103
The Way of the Coyote, Elmer Kelton (western)

Rusty asked, "What is it you like so much about shootin' police?"
"I don't rightly know. Maybe it's the way they jump when they're hit. Anyway, they're all Yankees at heart. Texas could do with a lot less of them." - Farley Brackett

Coyote is the third entry in Kelton's Texas Ranger series and picks up right after the event that ended "Badger Boy" (review # 97). It would kind of spoil Badger if I told you exactly how Coyote starts, so I'll just say it begins in the Fall of 1865 right after the Civil War's end and the folks on the Texas frontier are still trying to figure out what to do with themselves now that the Texan state government and law enforcement is kind of a toothless carpetbagging paper authority.

Our hero Rusty Shannon splits main protagonist duties with the white former Comanche Andy Pickens as they deal with comancheros, whisky runners, kidnappers, horse thieves, grudge settlers, carpetbaggers, racists, and stubborn womenfolk.

Verdict: Another great western from Kelton. I've come around on his stuff - this one still has its share of eyerolling moments and preachiness but comes across so fun and authentic it works. Way of the Coyote is even better than Badger Boy and I can't wait to read the next in the series.

Jeff's Rating: 4 / 5 (Very Good)
movie rating if made into a movie: PG

[Shelly Mundy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is the end of the Civil War, in the 1860s. Rusty Shannon is a former Texas Ranger who rescues a small boy from his captives, the Comanche Indians. The two journey to Rusty's Texas home where he is confronted by two outlaws who hold an old grudge against him. One of his friends, a black man named Shanty, is burned out of his home by the Klu Klux Klan. The state police and the judges, as well as most politicians are carpetbaggers, robbing normal folks of the their farms and possessions. Comanches are raiding homes for scalps, horses, killing women and taking small children to raise as slaves or warriors. This is the story of two men and their struggles to remain free among hard ruffians.

I enjoy Westerns very much and Elmer Kelton is a master. He is a six-time winner of the Spur Award, has earned four Western Heritage Awards from the National Cowboy Hall of Fame, and was named the greatest Western author of all time by the Western Writers of America. He has written more than forty books.

The Way of the Coyote was published in 2001 by Tom Doherty Associates.

Note: I didn't realize it at the time I checked this book out but it is the third book of a series, although it was still well read out of order. The first book is called The Buckskin Line and the second is called Badger Boy.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kelton is one of my 'reliable' authors who writes solid stories of life in Texas in the early days. I DO have trouble remembering which ones I've read, and this is one of those times. I enjoy his stories, but not twice.

[Jeff Dickison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Kelton story of Rusty Shannon and Andy Pickard. Rusty looses his farm to scheming carpetbaggers and Andy has to go back to the Cheyenne to retrieve a stolen boy. The ending sets up another story in this fine series. Highly recommended.

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A continuation of "Badger Boy". Very enjoyable.

[Steelman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another worthy effort by Kelton. He does a great job of putting you on the 1870s Texas frontier.

[Evan Leach · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an entertaining Western. Nothing special, but Elmer Kelton knows what he's doing and fans of the genre will enjoy this one. 3 stars.

[Megargee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third in Elmer Kelton's Texas Ranger trilogy, could not put it down.