Valley of the Sun: Stories

by Louis L'Amour

Cattlemen ride alone across the open range under the deadly aim of roving desperadoes. . . . Gamblers stake their fortunes and their lives on a deck of cards. . . . Strong-willed señoritas seek independence through an enticing combination of beauty, audacity, and spirit. . . . Lawmen and outlaws walk the same dusty streets and speak a common language: Colt, Winchester, Smith & Wesson. Gritty, tough, and unflinchingly authentic, here is the West as it really was: a land where for every friend there is an enemy, for every handshake a fist, for every dispute a resolution—usually in an explosive showdown of blood and bullets. In these remarkable tales, Louis L’Amour—like the very heroes he depicts—blazes a trail across the American frontier and takes us on an unforgettable journey into the heart of our western heritage.

Genres: Westerns, Fiction, Short Stories, Historical Fiction, Adventure, Novels, Audiobook

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Louis Dearborn L'Amour was an American novelist and short story writer. His books consisted primarily of Western novels, though he called his work "frontier stories". His most widely known Western fiction works include Last of the Breed, Hondo, Shalako, and the Sackett series. L'Amour also wrote historical fiction (The Walking Drum), science fiction (The Haunted Mesa), non-fiction (Frontier), and poetry and short-story collections. Many of his stories were made into films. His books remain popular and most have gone through multiple printings. At the time of his death, almost all of his 105 existing works (89 novels, 14 short-story collections, and two full-length works of nonfiction) were still in print, and he was "one of the world's most popular writers".

Reviews

[Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars for Valley of the Sun (audiobook) Louis L’Amour

It was a nice change to back and listen to a classic western story.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this short Western and the dramatization was a first for me. It featured a narrator, six cast members, one in special effects and music in the background. It was almost like listening to a TV episode.

[Nancy Snow · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good collection of stories, well-chosen so they are not formulaic. Enjoyable to read, and worth re-reading some!

[Jay Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another group of short stories. The stories are good, but none stand out. I would rate this as an average for the master writer, so still better than many. He is a gifted short story writer.

[Sean Godwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book absolutely hit my itch for some good old westerns. The fact that I read the whole book in 3 days is a testament to how well L'Amour holds attention and the ease of reading his style.

[Steve Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

This isn’t a collection of tales, but a dramatization of one story. I would have preferred a collection, as advertised, and a simple narration.

[Tom Sheehan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ain’t read many books in my lifetime, but heck this is one of the best.

[Chuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whenever I read a L'Amour western I find myself critical because the western genre is so unpopular and unpolitically correct. But when I finish I realize that I really enjoyed the descriptions and his view of a beautiful country that was being settled before lawmen, judges and order were established. I don't condone the violence or our treatment of native Americans, but it was what it was. Today, more people were murdered in Detroit than died in Iraq, but other than those in Detroit it doesn't appeal to the national media. I suppose a hundred years from now we will be held as politically incorrect, but I hope that it doesn't hinder someone writing about it. In any case, don't read L'Amour if you have a strong preference for Harlequin romances.

[Benji · Rating 5 out of 5]

Today I met an old timer at the beach. We talked about life, women, & pain.
He said this has been his favorite author since high school. He liked the stories where the good guys win at the end. Stories without sex, tortuous trauma, "stories that make me believe in the good in the world again." /// I told him you'll probably hate my writing, it's all about dealing with pain, using sex like a drug to numb the heartache, & trauma that really never seems to leave. But we try to save others so our trauma doesn't repeat onto the innocent of another. ///

Anyway, these stories reminded me about being younger in the way I saw my grandfather. A good man who lived through his life through constant wars, battles, & slander. He died during painful times.

It's sad because even in the end of his life he was still lied about, cussed upon his grave. His ashes in the wind. So while reading this, trying to put myself into the characters' shoes, & be there in that universe. Where good prevailed over evil. It was like a lie suffocating me...
Mr. L'Amour said “I think of myself in the oral tradition-as a troubador, a village story-teller, the man in the shadows of the campfire. That's the way I'd like to be remembered-as a storyteller. A good storyteller."

I have also learned that you can be a great story teller. Yet if it's in the hands of the wrong audience it won't bring the same raw emotion. I think learning & contrasting from that old man's words was every story teller needs an audience. You just have to nurture your nest. Till those birds hatch & that's the thing about us drifters, there's always an open flame to light the imagination of another.
Overall it was different from what I normally read. All I can say is it's not my cup of tea. Maybe I would have enjoyed it more when I was younger, more innocent of heart. Before the darkness of this world tore my heart apart. Yeah, maybe if I was younger I would have enjoyed it more. Don't get me wrong if we sat around a campfire, & he was telling this story orally maybe it would have had a greater impact on my shattered ideological mind. . .

I’ll leave it at a hunters shack, maybe some kid could find it useful. A gift that was maybe meant for somebody else. . . & I was jus’ the butterfly to deliver it to somebody else. To cause that positive ripple in the life of someone else…

[Laur · Rating 5 out of 5]

When a trusted ranch foreman carrying $10,000 from a sale of cattle is gunned down in the desert by 3 lawless men (all of whom he could recognize), he is left for dead and the money from his saddlebag is stolen. The thieves make it back to the ranch to conjure up a story to say they saw the foreman living it up with the money, was drunk, and said that he said he wasn’t coming back.

Little did they realize the foreman who is loyal to the ranch and to the widow rancher, wasn’t dead - severely wounded, but not dead. He needs to make it back to the ranch under very difficult circumstances - try to find the 3 thieves and recover the money if he can! He is also sweet on the widow and greatly concerned for her welfare. Turns out, his concerns are well-founded!

Excellent short story - made even better by listening to the animated audiobook. 5 ⭐️

[Jeff Tankersley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of nine western short stories, "Valley of the Sun" has a good assortment of easy reads with some standard plots. Some are action-heavy, some are mysteries to solve, most with young protagonists and beautiful young ladies, some twists and turns and moments of fright. It is a better L'Amour shorts collection than "the Outlaws of Mesquite" but not among L'Amour's best western novels.

Jeff's Rating: 3 / 5 (Good)
movie rating if made into a movie: G

[Jason Crow · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really solid collection of L'Amour short stories. The settings are all pretty standard, but the plots are sometimes offer a little something extra or special than just usual western fare.
I particularly liked the subtlety of "Victorio's Country." Also, for those of us familiar with "The Daybreakers," we see an earlier rollout of Tyrel Sackett's cigarette lighting trick in a short featuring a return of L'Amour's happy-go-lucky Cactus Kid.

[allie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5⭐️
Some were quite alright, but i felt like they all were very alike in the sort of storyline patterns they followed, aswell as the main characters - who always turned out to be some mysterious famous gunfighter with crazy skills - which got a bit repetitive after some time. I have a few of L’Amour’s other works, so I’m exited to see if his novels are any different/better than this short story-collection.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a bit short to give anything much higher. But the audio is a dramatization of the story so that was fun. Highly recommend, it was like a play/production over a book being read. I never would have picked this up without it being perfect for a challenger (V). Was a nice change, and my first "Western" type story.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short story collection has stories set around the Western US Southern border when the West was still young and unsettled. I enjoyed that all of them had a thread of common morality throughout while at the same time they are all notably different. It’s nice to read stories where men are men and there’s no confusion.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dry Gultched Foreman of the ranch returning with the money from selling off the herd to save the ranch, Left for dead and robbed, revives in a desert with no horse and water and badly hurt, fights back to life knowing it was up to him only to save the ranch. This was a good read.

[Rosemary Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short stories
We Shaped the Land with Our Guns
West of the Pilot Range
When a Texan Takes Over
No Man's Mesa
Gila Crossing
Medicine Ground
Valley of the Sun
That Slash Seven Kid
In Victorio's Country

[Arliegh Kovacs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Louis L'Amour's books are always an easy read. This one was my husband's choice for our "read-together book". It was a collection of short stories about law abiding citizens vs the bad guys. You know, cattle rustlers, thieves, ranch stealers. I enjoyed it.

[Oleta Blaylock · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another collection of short stories:

We Shaped the West with Our Guns
West of the Pilot Range
When a Texan Takes Over
No Man's Mesa
Gila Crossing
Medicine Ground Cactus Kid
Valley of the Sun
That Slash Seven Kid
In Victorio's Country

[Emily Arrowood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Louis L’Amour is always a joy! This is a collection of short stories, and I didn’t realize that to start with. Being that the stories are short there isn’t quite time for characters to develop, but they were enjoyable and thrilling nonetheless.

[Talmadge Walker · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought the stories were a bit too predictable.

[Candida · Rating 3 out of 5]

This a classic western story. A page turner with believable characters.

[Thomas C.Curtis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite of L'Amour's books, but still a decent read.

[Eric Parsons · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Louis L'Amour, but apart from a couple stories, this collection is close to unreadable. Very incoherent and unbelievable. Luckily, this is not representative of the author's work overall.

[Roger Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A series of wonderful stories by the best writer of westerns. They deal with the tough individuals who roamed the west in the years after the Civil War. Highly recommended.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ho hum. Cliche, predictable, unrealistic but listening to it got me to my destination.

[Hugh Laybourn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fr

[IRA D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can’t get enough

Not a big fan of shorts, but anything by Louis La’Mour
Is worth taking the time to read
Thank you

[Coleman · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is so bad it can be taken as a something far less serious, like a joke.

[John B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent collection of short stories