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The Predators
“F. M. PARKER BRINGS THE WEST TO LIFE,” Publishers Weekly declares in assessing the growing acclaim directed at one of America’s premier frontier novelist. Now with this powerful and ambitious work, F. M. Parker demonstrates his mastery anew.
The year is 1859, and in England, beautiful Caroline Shepherd is recruited by a handsome missionary to join other young women in a trek westward to the Mormon state in the mountain west of America. In the Rockies, young fur trapper Sam Wilde is left for dead by savage fur pirates led by DeBreen. Far away in Texas, rancher Nathan Tolliver finds himself alone after his twin brother is murdered by land thieves, whom Nathan tracks down and kills. To find a wife to share his cattle kingdom, Nathan joins four Texans riding northward in a hunt for mates.
On the trackless Great Plains, the threads of life of these characters intertwine. The women going westward toward Salt Lake City, thinly guarded and, like beasts of burden, pulling their scant belongings in carts harnessed to their shoulders, become a magnet for myriad predators. A lusting Pawnee chieftain looks on them as natural prey, DeBreen sees them as easy pickings for profit and pleasure, the Texans see them as a source of wives. Nathan falls in love with the reluctant Caroline and vows to protect the Mormon women at all costs and against all odds. Brigham Young has sent a band of armed men from Salt Lake City to meet the handcart company and to bring every woman to his land of Zion. They arrive with guns at the ready to keep the women from changing their plans as the dangers increase and go off with the Texans.
This gripping novel explodes with frontier passion and adventure. Based on the true events of the Mormon effort to forge a polygamous nation - Brigham Young called “Deseret” - in the heartland of America, it is at once an epic of endurance and a shattering journey into the soul. Historical fiction at its best.
From PREDATORS AND PREY:
“How about your religion?” cried Ruth.
“Well, what about it?” Sophia asked.
“You can’t give it up.”
“Sure I can, for a good man.”
“But you don’t have to for you can find a husband in Salt Lake City,” Ruth said.
“Maybe so, but this way I get to pick the one I want,” Sophia said. “Most likely I wouldn’t get that chance in Utah. And besides, any man who chooses me might already have ten wives or more.”
Ruth looked imploringly at Caroline. “Tell them they must go with us.”
“They must make their own decision,” Caroline replied.
“This is awful,” Ruth said in a plaintive voice.
“I sure don’t think so,” Sophia said happily. She snuffed out the candle.
The young women grew still, resting on their sleeping pallets and thinking their private thoughts. Outside, the storm raged on.
Caroline climbed up from her bed. She knew the girls were still awake, but there was something she must do. She moved toward the tent flap that opened to the outside.
Lightning flared, like a sun exploding. The inside of the tent became bright as day.
The light winked out and black night once again filled the tent.
“Caroline, where are you going?” Ruth called out above the storm.
“I’m going to properly thank a man who did something very brave for me, and to say good-bye to him,” Caroline said in the darkness.
“What do you mean?” Ruth asked.
“Shut up and grow up,” Sophia snapped.
Caroline untied the flap and stepped out into the storm. The rain struck hard, wetting quickly with its ice-cold deluge. The howling wind sucked away her breath.
The year is 1859, and in England, beautiful Caroline Shepherd is recruited by a handsome missionary to join other young women in a trek westward to the Mormon state in the mountain west of America. In the Rockies, young fur trapper Sam Wilde is left for dead by savage fur pirates led by DeBreen. Far away in Texas, rancher Nathan Tolliver finds himself alone after his twin brother is murdered by land thieves, whom Nathan tracks down and kills. To find a wife to share his cattle kingdom, Nathan joins four Texans riding northward in a hunt for mates.
On the trackless Great Plains, the threads of life of these characters intertwine. The women going westward toward Salt Lake City, thinly guarded and, like beasts of burden, pulling their scant belongings in carts harnessed to their shoulders, become a magnet for myriad predators. A lusting Pawnee chieftain looks on them as natural prey, DeBreen sees them as easy pickings for profit and pleasure, the Texans see them as a source of wives. Nathan falls in love with the reluctant Caroline and vows to protect the Mormon women at all costs and against all odds. Brigham Young has sent a band of armed men from Salt Lake City to meet the handcart company and to bring every woman to his land of Zion. They arrive with guns at the ready to keep the women from changing their plans as the dangers increase and go off with the Texans.
This gripping novel explodes with frontier passion and adventure. Based on the true events of the Mormon effort to forge a polygamous nation - Brigham Young called “Deseret” - in the heartland of America, it is at once an epic of endurance and a shattering journey into the soul. Historical fiction at its best.
From PREDATORS AND PREY:
“How about your religion?” cried Ruth.
“Well, what about it?” Sophia asked.
“You can’t give it up.”
“Sure I can, for a good man.”
“But you don’t have to for you can find a husband in Salt Lake City,” Ruth said.
“Maybe so, but this way I get to pick the one I want,” Sophia said. “Most likely I wouldn’t get that chance in Utah. And besides, any man who chooses me might already have ten wives or more.”
Ruth looked imploringly at Caroline. “Tell them they must go with us.”
“They must make their own decision,” Caroline replied.
“This is awful,” Ruth said in a plaintive voice.
“I sure don’t think so,” Sophia said happily. She snuffed out the candle.
The young women grew still, resting on their sleeping pallets and thinking their private thoughts. Outside, the storm raged on.
Caroline climbed up from her bed. She knew the girls were still awake, but there was something she must do. She moved toward the tent flap that opened to the outside.
Lightning flared, like a sun exploding. The inside of the tent became bright as day.
The light winked out and black night once again filled the tent.
“Caroline, where are you going?” Ruth called out above the storm.
“I’m going to properly thank a man who did something very brave for me, and to say good-bye to him,” Caroline said in the darkness.
“What do you mean?” Ruth asked.
“Shut up and grow up,” Sophia snapped.
Caroline untied the flap and stepped out into the storm. The rain struck hard, wetting quickly with its ice-cold deluge. The howling wind sucked away her breath.
350 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 30, 1990
2 people are currently reading
5 people want to read
About the author
F.M. Parker
32 books8 followersAs a boy F. M. Parker hitchhiked around the country working as a sheepherder in Montana, a bellhop in Colorado, and a logger in Ohio. He received a B. S. in Geology from the University of Dayton, and did graduate work in Geology at Ohio State University. He worked in the factories of GM and Chrysler at night to put himself through college. After that he went into the U. S. Navy for 5 « years with service in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans aboard the Timbalier, AVP 54, a seaplane tender.
After the navy he was employed as a geologist in the oil fields of Kansas, and as an exploration geologist in the uranium mines of Utah. After four years as a geologist, Parker became a manager in the Bureau of Land Management, part of the Department of Interior. He worked in several western states and Washington, DC, then progressed up through the ranks to become District Manager of the Vale District in Oregon, which is as much as 5 million acres. He was responsible for the management of the multiple resources of the land and its environmental protection. He was responsible for hundreds of grazing permits, several herds of wild horses, wild rivers, wildlife, recreation, timber, fire fighting and other factors regarding such a large land area.
Doubleday published his first book in 1981. The title was Skinner and there was an interesting story behind that title. The chairman of the grazing advisory board was named Skinner and the Skinner of Parker's novel was a drunkard and a pistoleer, while the real Skinner was a rancher and a straight arrow. Parker wasn't sure how the real Skinner would take the use of his name, but he laughed and thought it was a good story.
After the navy he was employed as a geologist in the oil fields of Kansas, and as an exploration geologist in the uranium mines of Utah. After four years as a geologist, Parker became a manager in the Bureau of Land Management, part of the Department of Interior. He worked in several western states and Washington, DC, then progressed up through the ranks to become District Manager of the Vale District in Oregon, which is as much as 5 million acres. He was responsible for the management of the multiple resources of the land and its environmental protection. He was responsible for hundreds of grazing permits, several herds of wild horses, wild rivers, wildlife, recreation, timber, fire fighting and other factors regarding such a large land area.
Doubleday published his first book in 1981. The title was Skinner and there was an interesting story behind that title. The chairman of the grazing advisory board was named Skinner and the Skinner of Parker's novel was a drunkard and a pistoleer, while the real Skinner was a rancher and a straight arrow. Parker wasn't sure how the real Skinner would take the use of his name, but he laughed and thought it was a good story.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 22, 2017
Focused on 1859 Mormon handcart migration from Europe to Utah, three plot lines converge: Texans seek wives among the Mormon women, one poor English girl endures many hardships during the trip, and a trapper hunts down gang who is planning to murder the Mormons. Interesting stories, but too many subplots and poorly developed characters.
February 17, 2015
Very good historical fiction of the Mormons journey to Utah. Based on the actual migration by handcart which lasted five years (1856 to 1860). Mostly young women recruited by missionaries to England and Scandinavia.
July 7, 2011
If you like this genre, this novel has all that, but also well-written prose and well-sketched characterization.
October 6, 2012
Another good novel by this author. I will continue reading more by this author.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews