My Pardner

by Max Evans

Accompanied by a deceitful cowboy who teaches him some ingenious methods of survival, a twelve-year-old Texas boy drives his father's horses to Oklahoma in the 1930's.

Hardcover

First published April 1, 1972

Reviews

[David Finger · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a resident of Lea County, New Mexico I knew that at some point I would have to read some of the works of our favorite local author: Max Evans. And I couldn’t have picked a better introduction to Evans than with this short 106 page novel about a young boy and the wily old cowboy whom he partners up with: Boggs. The narrator is given a job by his father: deliver five mules and sixteen horses from their homestead in Starvation, Texas to Guyman, Oklahoma by July 19th for the “big sale.” At just under 90-pounds and not yet 13 years old the narrator is tasked with a most important job...but he finds that his partner hired to accompany him on this two month journey has no shortage of tricks up his sleeve. From his skills at hunting rabbits to his skills with the baseball, Boggs always has a way to turn misfortune into opportunity and his colorful antics always keeps both the narrator, and the reader, on their toes. By the end of the book you can’t help but admire Boggs’ ability to always push the envelope just a little farther, and somehow always come out on top.

[Garner Simmons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Max Evans was a gifted storyteller whose ability to capture the West he knew permeates every page of this wonderful book. A book about coming of age and learning about life. Definitely worth your time.