The Devil's Backbone

by Bill Wittliff, Jack Unruh (Illustrator)

The last the boy Papa saw of his Momma, she was galloping away on her horse Precious in the saddle her father took from a dead Mexican officer after the Battle of San Jacinto, fleeing from his Daddy, Old Karl, a vicious, tight-fisted horse trader. Momma's flight sets Papa on a relentless quest to find her that thrusts him and his scrappy little dog Fritz into adventures all across the wild and woolly Hill Country of Central Texas, down to Mexico, and even into the realm of the ghostly "Shimmery People." In The Devil's Backbone, master storyteller Bill Wittliff takes readers on an exciting journey through a rough 1880s frontier as full of colorful characters and unexpected turns of events as the great American quest novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Wittliff grew up listening to stories and memories like these in his own family, and in this imaginative novel, they come to vivid life, creating an engrossing story of a Texas Huck Finn that brims with folk wisdom and sly humor. A rogue's gallery of characters thwart and aid Papa's path—Old Karl, hell-bent on bringing the boy back to servitude on his farm, and Herman, Papa's brother who's got Old Karl's horse-trading instincts and greed; Calley Pearsall, an enigmatic cowboy with "other Fish to Fry" who might be an outlaw or a trustworthy "o'Amigo"; o'Jeffey, a black seer who talks to the spirits but won't tell Papa what she has divined about his Momma; Mister Pegleg, a three-legged coyote with whom Papa forms a poignant, nearly tragic friendship; the "Mexkins" Pepe and Peto and their father Old Crecencio, whose longing for his lost family is as strong as Papa's; and blind Bird, a magical "blue baby" who can't see with his eyes but who helps other people see what they hold in their hearts. Papa's adventures draw him ever nearer to a mysterious cave that haunts his dreams—an actual cave that he discovers at last in the canyons of the Devil's Backbone—but will he find Momma before Old Karl finds him?

237 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2014

Reviews

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

After having a hard time getting into this book, I finished it and liked it. Unusual format and dialect/speech pattern.

This “quest” novel is about Papa, a young boy, who tries to find his Momma, after she ran off, escaping her mean husband, Old Karl. It’s about the people he meets, both friendly and others not so friendly. In his journey he teams up with Calley Pearsall, a good hearted outlaw, and finds a companion in a dog, Fritz.

Illustrations by Jack Unruh are unusual, with oversized faces. Odd.

This is the first book in a trilogy.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

This enjoyable read was a nice surprise I found on the Staff Recommendations shelf at the Kyle Library. Halfway through the first page I had to flip through the book to see if the writing style would continue, and it did. The story is told in old-timey Texas slang by someone who is retelling the words of the main character, Papa, as he told the story. I wasn't sure what to think but I quickly became engaged in the story and the telling became part of it. This was a great pioneer-era tale that was part coming-of-age, part cowboy, part mystery, and part ghost story. I'm not usually a fan of book series but I was happy to hear this is Book One of the Papa Stories because I will definitely look forward to reading more about Papa.

[Barbara Hathaway · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun read! A fast-paced, funny, poignant Texas tale in the tradition of Huck Finn with unforgettable characters. As a long-time fan of Bill Witliff (Lonesome Dove miniseries, anyone?), I just had to read this and was thrilled to find out it's the first of an intended trilogy. Can't wait to "hear" what happens to Papa next! (His voice is still in my head!).

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this venture into this exquisite piece of storytelling. Both author and illustrator are masters of their respective art forms, each illuminating the richness and depth of this fantastical journey into the world of memory.

[Kay Robart · Rating 3 out of 5]

See my review here:

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