The Raven’s Honor

by Johnny D. Boggs

Sam Houston is a living legend in 1861. The hero of the Battle of San Jacinto, he had defeated Santa Anna to win independence for Texas back in 1836. He had twice served as president of the Republic of Texas, helped Texas join the Union, and served as senator and governor of Texas. Before settling in Texas, he had been a hero of the Creek War and governor of Tennessee. He had been friends with Andrew Jackson and Davy Crockett, and had been adopted into the Cherokee tribe, whose rights he had often defended and who had named him the Raven. Yet now, approaching seventy years of hard living, he finds everything he has fought for being torn asunder. Texas is joining the Confederacy, and Houston, a Unionist who has been cast out as governor, quickly loses power, prestige, and friends. He could hide in retirement, but such is not the way of a warrior. The Raven prepares for his most important fight yet. He knows this battle will test his endurance and faith. He knows he will need his wife, Margaret, to save him from his own worst enemy—himself. And he knows this war, which will pit brother against brother, will also try to divide Houston’s family. What he doesn’t know yet is that he will find help from long-dead friends and enemies to help him sort out his life and restore his honor. Johnny D. Boggs, among the most honored Western writers of the twenty-first century, brings one of Texas’ greatest heroes to life, warts and all, in a character study and love story of a man fighting for his country and legacy—but mostly for his family.

250 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 1, 2018

About the author

Johnny D. Boggs is a Spur- and Wrangler Award-winning author of the American West and frontier. Born in 1962, Boggs grew up on a farm near Timmonsville, South Carolina, around the old stamping grounds of Revolutionary War hero Francis Marion (chronicled in his frontier novel The Despoilers). He knew he wanted to be a writer at an early age. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico with his wife, Lisa Smith; son, Jack Smith Boggs; and basset hound, June.

Reviews

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I heard of this Boggs fellow and thought I’d give him a try. Not bad. He might have a future in this business. As for this book specifically, I learned more about Sam Houston than I ever did in Mrs. Patterson’s 8th-grade Texas history class ... and had much more fun at that.

[Gerald Hickman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A personal look at Sam in his days after being the president of the Republic of Texas. I could identify with the main character as he grew older and tried to keep things together.

The chapter about the defense of the Alamo was especially interesting to me. A pleasant to read.

[Thomas Clagett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author Johnny D. Boggs proves himself once again a master storyteller with this tale of triumph, failure and redemption.
Sam Houston knew many names: the hero of the battle of San Jacinto, Senator and Governor of Texas, The Big Drunk. He was adopted into the Cherokee tribe. They gave him the name The Raven. We find him in his last years, just as Texas has chosen to secede from the Union in the early days of the Civil War. Bitter but not bowed, gray-haired and crotchety, Houston still fights the good fight. We witness the end of one era, and the beginning of another. And Boggs incorporates the unexpected along the way. No spoilers here, though.
Recommended.

[Holly Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story of the last years of Sam Houston taken from in some parts his own words from in some parts historical documentation. The greatest fighter for Texas there ever could be. A proud and very loyal American, this book also traces Sam's life through his years with the Cherokee, his years as a politician, a soldier, a statesman, a Father, a slave owner, and a defender of the state of Texas in the early years of it's statehood and the American Civil War... I have always had an interest in The Alamo and all the people connected to it in various ways....Sam Houston plays a major role in Texas History undeniably. Very well written, and a very good read. 334 pages not 500 but well worth the time.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful honest novel of the end of the life of the Texas Hero Sam Houston. It is not a true story but is based on a true life of someone we can respect and honor. Thank you, Johnny D. Boggs.

[Micheal Jimerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This a bold attempt to gain a deeper understanding of Sam Houston through fiction based on good research. The task is impossible with a man as complex and unique as Sam Houston. Still, I rate the attempt high because I see the work from a skillful writer willing to challenge himself.

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a true Texan this book is a must!