Broken Cowboy

by Mike Nelson

Fred Bracken, son of a small-town Montana rancher, enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1968 and was sent to the jungles of Vietnam, where he served his time in the elite Marine Force Recon.Months later, wounded and fraught with nightmares, he returns home to his Montana ranch to face not only the demons of his childhood but also those he brought home with him from the jungle.His plans? College, marriage, and a normal future. The problem is, after a drunk driver kills his parents in a car crash, Fred is forced to drop out of school to run the ranch now heavily in debt. Worse yet, he’s not so welcome in his hometown. The bullies he had to put up with in grade school have grown up, and their fathers pretty much own the valley. They want his ranch but don’t want to pay much to get it. What will they do to force him out? What is Fred willing to do to survive?

445 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 12, 2020

About the author

Mike grew up on a farm where he learned the value of hard work. He is the proud father of six children, an active member of his church, and currently lives with his wife of fifty-two years in Brigham City, Utah. He served in the United States Airforce in Communications Intelligence and was stationed near Istanbul Turkey. After his honorable discharge in 1974, he graduated from Weber State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting.
Mike is currently an active member of the League of Utah Writers and although he has been writing most of his life, he didn’t get serious about writing until he retired in 2014. His third novel “Clairvoyant” was awarded the Utah League of Writer’s Silver Quill award for adult literature. He just published his thirteenth book “The Invitation”. In addition, he has contributed numerous short stories to League-sponsored anthologies.
Mike loves most things out-of-doors and in his younger days, he backpacked, hunted, and fished the mountains of Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming. Now that he has hung up his hiking boots and backpack, he still enjoys exploring the great out-of-doors with his wife from the seat of his side-by-side.

Reviews

[Alice M · Rating 5 out of 5]

REVIEW TITLE: "RIVETING READ"

I enjoyed reading about the tumultuous journey of Fred Bracken, a young Montana rancher, and U.S. military veteran. Returning home after actively serving during brutal wartime was hard enough. But Fred has two grueling battles to fight at home. He has to deal with some lifelong bullies in his ranching community, and he has to deal with the mental/emotional effects of his wartime experiences. Fred is troubled, but also likable, and the reader wants to see redemption for him. We also see a softer side of Fred with a love interest, and when he tries to help a young man from a troubled home. Fred is a good man, but life has fractured/broken him, and the way he deals with his demons is sometimes disturbing.

I felt this novel was well-written and engaging to read, however, I think it's written for an adult audience and contains mature content. The author vividly portrays Fred's ability and disability as well as the blurred lines between. The supporting characters and community are also well developed. The story is multi-layered, sometimes harsh, yet rich with intrigue, mystery, and conflict. This is a work of fiction, but the reality is vividly portrayed throughout. The experience of reading BROKEN COWBOY was riveting. Many of my emotions were drawn into reading this novel. I read late into the night, not wanting to put the book down. I'll be reaching for another Mike Nelson novel again.