Eyes of the Hawk

by Elmer Kelton

A six-time winner of the Western Writers of America's Spur Award, Elmer Kelton is the premier Western storyteller of his time. Eyes of the Hawk, winner of the Spur Award for Best Western Novel, is an outstanding tale of Texas--filled with authentic characters and history, and telling the story of the outstanding courage and determination of the men and women who challenged an unyielding wilderness to build a frontier legend.

Thomas Canfield descends from a line of Texas's earliest settlers. A proud man with a fierce-eyes stare, he inspires the Mexican of Stonehill, Texas to call him el gavilan--the "hawk". When Branch Isom--an insolent, dangerous newcomer--seeks to build his fortune at Canfeild's expense, an all-out feud ensues. Hurtling the town toward a day of reckoning that will shake the entire town to its very roots. Eyes of the Hawk is a classic tale of Western history, told by one of the most critically acclaimed writers of the American West.

Genres: Westerns, Fiction, Audiobook, Historical Fiction

192 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

Elmer Kelton (1926-2009) was award-winning author of more than forty novels, including The Time It Never Rained, Other Men’s Horses, Texas Standoff and Hard Trail to Follow. He grew up on a ranch near Crane, Texas, and earned a journalism degree from the University of Texas. His first novel, Hot Iron, was published in 1956. Among his awards have been seven Spurs from Western Writers of America and four Western Heritage awards from the National Cowboy Hall of Fame. His novel The Good Old Boys was made into a television film starring Tommy Lee Jones. In addition to his novels, Kelton worked as an agricultural journalist for 42 years. He served in the infantry in World War II. He died in 2009.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/elmerk...

Reviews

[Jeff Dickison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elmer Kelton was the best western writer in America, but this is not a typical western. This is more of a character study of one gentleman and shows the effects of hatred over a period of years. Thomas Canfield hates a bad guy for a very long time until he finally begins to take on the characteristics of that bad guy. If you're looking for a different type of western, this will fill your bill.

[Kathleen (itpdx) · Rating 4 out of 5]

My second Elmer Kelton book. Not quite as good as The Time It Never Rained. The story is about Thomas Canfield told by Reed Sawyer, who comes into Canfield’s employment in south Texas as a teen. The story is grounded in the history of Texas and is set both before and after the Civil War. The characters here are a little flatter and the plot is a little less deep than in The Time It Never Rained but it is still an interesting story.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another delightful read of early Texas from a masterful story teller. The story is based on three facts concerning South Texas: Helena which was destroyed economically when a rancher's son was; The Polish settlement of Panna Maria near Helena, and the Sutton-Taylor feud which occurred in the general area. In Eyes of the Hawk early Texas is brought to life.

[Tena · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very different kind of cowboy.

[Monte Owen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best western writer of a generation!!

[sarg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gave this 5 stars Elmer Kelton is one of my favorite western authors haven’t read one of his books I didn’t like

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elmer Kelton rarely disappoints and this novel is no exception. The only "fail" in this novel is the lame title that bears little relationship to the powerful tale to which it is attached.

Reed Sawyer makes his way to Texas shortly before the War between the States. Kelton accurately depicts Texas growth during the period immediately prior to the War, during the war, and after the War. Texas is wonderfully described as what would-be melting pot of Mexican, Anglo, and even Eastern European immigrants. I refer to it as a would-be melting pot because the various cultural groups tend to keep to themselves, primarily due to the language barriers that existed.

Reed steps into a conflict between two freighters. Branch Isom plays the heavy and Thomas
Canfield has the role of a hero. The issue between them is the Isom is involved in raiding freight trains with Canfield's merchandise. This conflict gradually grows as the novel progresses. What makes this story interesting is the role reversal that slowly takes place throughout the novel. Though Canfield befriends Reed and provides him with a job, conflict between Reed and Canfield slowly arises because of that role reversal. Canfield's unyielding hatred for Isom is fueled by Isom's initial conduct, but Isom matures and slowly reforms. This leaves Canfield with an unreasonable rage towards Isom.

The story is filled with Texas history and nobody writes about Texas better than Elmer Kelton. The story relates a period of about two and a half generations. Life on the frontier is so much more than bullets and duels in the streets and Kelton paints a Wild West with broad but exacting strokes of historical realism.

Elmer develops he conflict at just the right pace. He covers the time period in a rapid, but in-depth manner that seems more in keeping with a much longer piece. This great story is a great read, even though it seems like it is over far too soon.

[S.S. Genesee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting little book. Overall I enjoyed reading it, and I went through it rather quickly! The author has a very simple and easy style to digest, so reading was a breeze. I picked this book up completely on a whim from the Western section at my library, not knowing anything about it other than it had an interesting blurb and amazing cover art. I like the spontaneity of finding an older hidden gem when constantly only seeing the newest or the most popular books, and I had a fun time!

The plot itself? It was about Thomas Canfield's descent into madness, harboring a hatred for a rival spanning across decades. Which was very interesting in a character, however I did not enjoy that because the book was so short, there were SO many times skips. As soon as I thought the plot was moving somewhere, there seemed to be a time skip 🤣🤣 But I suppose each event through the years served its purpose, and still told the story well enough.

I like how with Westerns like this, we get kinda a little history lesson, how people lived back then, but told in an entertaining way through an engaging fictional story. I suppose that goes for all historical books and why I like them, y'know? Overall an interesting read!

[Sandra Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this novel on Audible as I drove back to Texas from Virginia, and it was like Elmer Kelton was right there in the seat next to me, telling the story. That credit goes to the narrator ... an excellent job! Mr. Kelton's tale of young Reed Sawyer was compelling from the beginning to the end, and I sensed, maybe, young Reed was the voice of the author who'd admitted in the past to being no good at cowboying. This was an enlightening story of the times before and after the Civil War in Texas, filled to the brim with history, where the young narrator stood between good and evil. The lines between the two were firmly unclear and, sometimes, misleading. It was a harsh land where revenge ruled the day and where women were the only soft place. I truly did love this novel, as if Mr. Kelton were speaking to me from the next world ... taking me right there to early Texas filled with struggle, and I was right there, thirsty for more.

[Nate]

Above average western about a longstanding hatred between two Texas men. It's a short book, but quite a lot happens and the characters are well-drawn, with complexities befitting the moral greyness of the era. One of the men begins as honorable and compassionate, the other brash and vengeful. But through the passage of time and a series of tragedies, their roles reverse. The first man cannot let go of his hatred for the second, blaming him for all that's happened, while the second man becomes open-hearted and willing to forgive. This leads to a heartbreaking conclusion that's almost noir in execution. I went in to this book knowing nothing and could not predict what would happen.

Kelton's dialogue, descriptions, and pacing reflect the work of a seasoned storyteller. This will not be the last book of his that I read.

[Carolyn Love · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Western Tale

This book has action, drama,Western scenery, and romance. It tells the story of a complicated friendship between two very different men living in early Texas. I could not put it down.

[Russell Mullins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elmer Kelton always wrote stories that have the ring of truth about what it must have been like to live in Texas during the 1800’s. This title is a powerful story of how hate can destroy a person at the deepest level.

[Candace Simar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This western is definitely not stereotypical. The character development is unique without a cliche' in sight. Elmer Kelton is a masterful storyteller. I'm looking for more of his titles!

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy these old westerns, and learn something new every time. I like that they don't feel the need to swear in every other sentence.

[Conan Tigard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read a fair share of westerns, I was not prepared for the different kind of tale portrayed in Eyes of the Hawk. Thomas Canfield is a man who cannot ever let go of the past. His hatred for Isom builds and does not recede over time. Isom, who makes some mistakes in his youth, gets married and has a boy. Over time, Isom turns into a businessman pouring his money into Stonehill and his love into his family.

On the other hand, Canfield alienates everyone that has ever befriended him and blames all of his troubles on Isom, whether he is deserving of it or not. I found this change of roles confusing, as I no longer knew who to cheer for at the end of the book. All I know is that Canfield got everything he was deserving of whereas Isom . . . well, I don't want to give too much away.

Eyes of the Hawk is an interesting twist on the normal mighty hero western story.

I rated this book a 7 out of 10.

[Mark]

Joint Winner, 1981 Spur Award for Best Novel

[David Brimer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The John Ford of the western novel delivers yet again! Slow to start but thoroughly worthwhile by the end. Read it right away.