The Trail Beyond: A Western Story

by Max Brand

Peter Quince was a fighter born and bred. Orphaned at a young age, he remembered an old woman saying that he was a bad one and would cause a lot of trouble in the world. Others claimed he had bad blood and it would show up sooner or later. But Bill Andrews felt a connection with the boy, took him home as raised as one of his own despite his wife's misgivings. Peter soon learned he could manipulate people by withholding his true feelings -- showing and telling them what they wanted to see and hear. Peter had learned that battles should be won by cunning and strength, with cunning being far more important. But when he beat his foster brother in a fight over a girl named Mary, Peter knew it was time to strike out on his own. In his travels he would seek out those with skills he needed and learn from them until he was able to master his teacher.

302 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2014

About the author

Frederick Schiller Faust (see also Frederick Faust), aka Frank Austin, George Owen Baxter, Walter C. Butler, George Challis, Evin Evan, Evan Evans, Frederick Faust, John Frederick, Frederick Frost, David Manning, Peter Henry Morland, Lee Bolt, Peter Dawson, Martin Dexter, Dennis Lawson, M.B., Hugh Owen, Nicholas Silver

Max Brand, one of America's most popular and prolific novelists and author of such enduring works as Destry Rides Again and the Doctor Kildare stories, died on the Italian front in 1944.

Reviews

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

audio book This book was written almost 100 years ago. It is the product of the culture that published with civility and not shock and vulgarity. If you keep that in mind you will experience a work written in excellent prose.

[Mark Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

It started out as 2 stars, mostly because of the chauvinism. And the writing describing it was odd - old-fashioned. But then I realized that was just the times (100 years ago) and also the writing got better. So it improved to 3 stars. Then the writing and the story got better (or maybe I just got used to it) and I thought "4 stars"! I really liked the surprise ending, although I should have been able to figuring out.