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Hewey Calloway #2
The Smiling Country
Hewey is back; older, wiser, and badly banged up trying to break a renegade bronc. His wandering days are over because of his injuries, because of fences that cut up the range, because of trucks and automobiles. But how will Hewey handle the new circumstances of his life? And how will Spring react to his return?
272 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1998
27 people are currently reading
257 people want to read
About the author
Elmer Kelton
196 books262 followersElmer 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
March 30, 2023
This book takes place in 1910, 4 years after the events in The Good Old Boys. At the end of that novel, Hewey walked away from marriage and a settled life to continue his wandering life as a cowboy. Nobody was going to rope him into responsibility and giving up his freedom, even if he did love her. No way. He would be a cowboy forever, riding the range, roping and breaking wild broncos, doing a job he loved.
But Hewey reckoned without the ravages of time, aging, and a hard life. The mind may be willing, but the body has a way of insisting that you slow down. This time a forced slowing down was brought about by a horse too wild to tame, an accident, and a broken body that doesn't heal as quickly at 44 as it did at 20.
Hewey had family, friends and an employer that loved and respected him, but a cowboy who can't even ride a horse anymore is pretty useless, in his opinion. This is a novel of his acceptance of reality taking precedence over the dream, a man's decision to change his focus from the past to the present and the future, and choosing to move forward, even though he never would embrace that newfangled automobile. It wouldn't take long for people to give up on that and go back to horses, would it?
Elmer Kelton is a western author that delves deeply into the psyche of his characters and tells us the truth about "the old west", not the romance of the myths we all thought we knew.
But Hewey reckoned without the ravages of time, aging, and a hard life. The mind may be willing, but the body has a way of insisting that you slow down. This time a forced slowing down was brought about by a horse too wild to tame, an accident, and a broken body that doesn't heal as quickly at 44 as it did at 20.
Hewey had family, friends and an employer that loved and respected him, but a cowboy who can't even ride a horse anymore is pretty useless, in his opinion. This is a novel of his acceptance of reality taking precedence over the dream, a man's decision to change his focus from the past to the present and the future, and choosing to move forward, even though he never would embrace that newfangled automobile. It wouldn't take long for people to give up on that and go back to horses, would it?
Elmer Kelton is a western author that delves deeply into the psyche of his characters and tells us the truth about "the old west", not the romance of the myths we all thought we knew.
April 17, 2023
3.5 rounded to 4 stars
I really enjoyed meeting Hewey Calloway in The Good Old Boys. He is a cowboy’s cowboy at a time when automobiles and technologies unknown to a horse man are taking away the lifestyle of freedom that he has been enjoying his entire life. In this continuation of Hewey’s story, it’s 4 years later and for a cowboy in his early 40’s, he is aging. However, you cannot tell Hewey that! He won’t believe it and won’t abide by it. His foreman and boss keep harping on him to leave breaking the broncs to the younguns. That just doesn’t sit well with Hewey who just can’t imagine slowing down or changing anything about his roaming lifestyle. When he is faced with a dilemma involving a wild bronc and his nephew Tommy, Hewey finds out just how breakable he really is. The accident puts him in a couple of casts and forces him to come to reality about his physical limitations.
Hewey’s only responsibility has been himself his whole life and when Tommy shows up, he now must look out for his well being and show him the ropes of cowboying. Tommy’s mom and dad don’t want this lifestyle for their son and they resent Hewey’s influence. It’s also part of being a parent to try to let go of your children when they grow up and decide what they want to do with their lives. But Hewey proves himself as a formidable uncle. He also hasn’t stopped thinking about Spring Renfro, the woman he gave up previously. Hewey is now in a place where he must learn to appreciate and accept the way things are now and to think about what his future might look like.
This is my third Elmer Kelton book but so far, my least favorite. The Time it Never Rained has by far the best story and characters and The Good Old Boys gave us Hewey Calloway, the free-range cowboy. I still enjoyed reading more about Hewey in this book and getting a new perspective on life for an aging cowboy and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend any of these titles.
I really enjoyed meeting Hewey Calloway in The Good Old Boys. He is a cowboy’s cowboy at a time when automobiles and technologies unknown to a horse man are taking away the lifestyle of freedom that he has been enjoying his entire life. In this continuation of Hewey’s story, it’s 4 years later and for a cowboy in his early 40’s, he is aging. However, you cannot tell Hewey that! He won’t believe it and won’t abide by it. His foreman and boss keep harping on him to leave breaking the broncs to the younguns. That just doesn’t sit well with Hewey who just can’t imagine slowing down or changing anything about his roaming lifestyle. When he is faced with a dilemma involving a wild bronc and his nephew Tommy, Hewey finds out just how breakable he really is. The accident puts him in a couple of casts and forces him to come to reality about his physical limitations.
Hewey’s only responsibility has been himself his whole life and when Tommy shows up, he now must look out for his well being and show him the ropes of cowboying. Tommy’s mom and dad don’t want this lifestyle for their son and they resent Hewey’s influence. It’s also part of being a parent to try to let go of your children when they grow up and decide what they want to do with their lives. But Hewey proves himself as a formidable uncle. He also hasn’t stopped thinking about Spring Renfro, the woman he gave up previously. Hewey is now in a place where he must learn to appreciate and accept the way things are now and to think about what his future might look like.
This is my third Elmer Kelton book but so far, my least favorite. The Time it Never Rained has by far the best story and characters and The Good Old Boys gave us Hewey Calloway, the free-range cowboy. I still enjoyed reading more about Hewey in this book and getting a new perspective on life for an aging cowboy and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend any of these titles.
February 16, 2023
Reread
This is a sequel to The Good Old Boys.
The story begins:
“Hewey Calloway did not know how old he was without stopping to figure, and that distracted his attention from matters of real importance. In his opinion anyone who wasted time worrying about his age had more leisure than was good for him. He had not acknowledged a birthday since he had turned thirty a dozen years ago – or was it fifteen?”
“…. In horse years, Biscuit was older than his rider, but the brown gelding was equally indifferent to the passage of time …. He could outguess a cow nine out of ten confrontations and outrun her the other time.”
“… Anybody who couldn’t get where he was going on horseback or in a wagon was in too much of a hurry.”
Hewey, true to his fiddle-footed, happy-go-lucky personality, was opposed to owning property for he viewed it as a handicap rather than an asset. He never wanted more property than he could tie to his saddle and carry with him to his next job.
“I’m satisfied with myself the way I am. Ain’t much I’d want to change.”
He hated giving orders, found responsibility smothering, and preferred to work as a top cowhand at thirty dollars a month. Unfortunately, responsibility came knocking in the person of his young nephew, Tommy, who was now eighteen and who wanted to be a cowboy, just like his Uncle Hewey.
Hewey loved Tommy but he knew that his sister-in-law’s greatest dread had become a reality.
EVE TO TOMMY: “Don’t do everything your uncle Hewey does. Use your head and don’t let him get you hurt.”
HEWEY: “Tommy’s levelheaded. Like as not he’ll be lookin’ after me more than I’ll be lookin’ after him.”
EVE: “That is exactly what I’m afraid of.”
Hewey did look after Tommy and the responsibility put him in the hospital. with a broken arm, ribs, knee, and internal injuries. It happened when Hewey refused to allow Tommy to ride a mean, unbroken, outlaw bronc and instead did it himself. Hewey rode the horse but he was badly injured.
He realized that his days as a cowboy and bronc buster were behind him and he was forced to “ponder the imponderable price of freedom.”
After leaving the hospital he went to his brother Walter and sister-in-law Eve’s farm, even arriving in an automobile.
Spring Renfro was the only woman he had ever loved. In the four years he had been gone she was never far from his thoughts. He wondered if he should ask her to marry him – a second time. Unfortunately, he discovered that she and Farley Neal, a good man, with both boots planted firmly on the ground, was also in love with her.
Who would she choose?
This is a sequel to The Good Old Boys.
The story begins:
“Hewey Calloway did not know how old he was without stopping to figure, and that distracted his attention from matters of real importance. In his opinion anyone who wasted time worrying about his age had more leisure than was good for him. He had not acknowledged a birthday since he had turned thirty a dozen years ago – or was it fifteen?”
“…. In horse years, Biscuit was older than his rider, but the brown gelding was equally indifferent to the passage of time …. He could outguess a cow nine out of ten confrontations and outrun her the other time.”
“… Anybody who couldn’t get where he was going on horseback or in a wagon was in too much of a hurry.”
Hewey, true to his fiddle-footed, happy-go-lucky personality, was opposed to owning property for he viewed it as a handicap rather than an asset. He never wanted more property than he could tie to his saddle and carry with him to his next job.
“I’m satisfied with myself the way I am. Ain’t much I’d want to change.”
He hated giving orders, found responsibility smothering, and preferred to work as a top cowhand at thirty dollars a month. Unfortunately, responsibility came knocking in the person of his young nephew, Tommy, who was now eighteen and who wanted to be a cowboy, just like his Uncle Hewey.
Hewey loved Tommy but he knew that his sister-in-law’s greatest dread had become a reality.
EVE TO TOMMY: “Don’t do everything your uncle Hewey does. Use your head and don’t let him get you hurt.”
HEWEY: “Tommy’s levelheaded. Like as not he’ll be lookin’ after me more than I’ll be lookin’ after him.”
EVE: “That is exactly what I’m afraid of.”
Hewey did look after Tommy and the responsibility put him in the hospital. with a broken arm, ribs, knee, and internal injuries. It happened when Hewey refused to allow Tommy to ride a mean, unbroken, outlaw bronc and instead did it himself. Hewey rode the horse but he was badly injured.
He realized that his days as a cowboy and bronc buster were behind him and he was forced to “ponder the imponderable price of freedom.”
After leaving the hospital he went to his brother Walter and sister-in-law Eve’s farm, even arriving in an automobile.
Spring Renfro was the only woman he had ever loved. In the four years he had been gone she was never far from his thoughts. He wondered if he should ask her to marry him – a second time. Unfortunately, he discovered that she and Farley Neal, a good man, with both boots planted firmly on the ground, was also in love with her.
Who would she choose?
July 19, 2023
This book is a sequel to Elmer Kelton’s novel The Good Old Boys, which I read recently. I find I can’t really talk about this novel without giving away the ending of The Good Old Boys, so if you are thinking of reading that one, look away NOW!
I approached this sequel with some trepidation. I had so greatly enjoyed The Good Old Boys that I feared this one might be a letdown, something I have experienced before with sequels. We’ve moved forward 4 years in this novel, to 1910, and Hewey is now in his early forties. The young cowboys he works with respect his knowledge and experience to an extent, but they also view him with that particular condescension that the young have for the old. His boss at the ranch where he works has offered him a foreman’s job, but Hewey still shies away from the idea of responsibility, and of being tied down. He gropes to find the place where time has stopped and he is still twenty years old, but the world of his youth is disappearing at an ever greater pace. The despised automobile, which Hewey dismissed as a passing fad, now proliferates. The choices that Hewey faced in the first novel once again start to present themselves, and the price of freedom is going up every year. Has he reached the point where his life must change?
I needn’t have worried about the book being a disappointment. True, I didn’t find this quite as good, but equalling the first novel was a high bar. The humour is more understated this time, more in the dialogue than in the kind of comic scenes that featured previously. This though, is still a warm-hearted and hugely enjoyable novel.
I approached this sequel with some trepidation. I had so greatly enjoyed The Good Old Boys that I feared this one might be a letdown, something I have experienced before with sequels. We’ve moved forward 4 years in this novel, to 1910, and Hewey is now in his early forties. The young cowboys he works with respect his knowledge and experience to an extent, but they also view him with that particular condescension that the young have for the old. His boss at the ranch where he works has offered him a foreman’s job, but Hewey still shies away from the idea of responsibility, and of being tied down. He gropes to find the place where time has stopped and he is still twenty years old, but the world of his youth is disappearing at an ever greater pace. The despised automobile, which Hewey dismissed as a passing fad, now proliferates. The choices that Hewey faced in the first novel once again start to present themselves, and the price of freedom is going up every year. Has he reached the point where his life must change?
I needn’t have worried about the book being a disappointment. True, I didn’t find this quite as good, but equalling the first novel was a high bar. The humour is more understated this time, more in the dialogue than in the kind of comic scenes that featured previously. This though, is still a warm-hearted and hugely enjoyable novel.
January 19, 2026
Why on earth Amazon labeled this as Book 1 I can’t understand. This book actually follows The Good Old Boys in this Hewey Calloway series.
"Tommy looked up at the stars. His voice was tinged with awe. “Ain’t it beautiful out here, Uncle Hewey? I never saw the like of these mountains.” Hewey nodded. “It is a smilin’ country.”"
Tommy is Hewey’s nephew. He wants to cowboy, just like his uncle.
"“Ever been tempted to do somethin’ besides cowboy?” “Not much. You’ve got to make choices. You choose one thing, you give up another. You can’t have it all.” The cowboy occupation offered many pleasures, though there were days when Hewey wondered if they were worth the bruises, lacerations and general soreness that often supplemented his meager wages. He believed being a cowboy was a privilege reserved to a chosen few. He did not know how the Lord had come to pick him, for his willful nature caused him to stray from the gospel path now and again. But he was not one to question his maker’s judgment. He was grateful to be among the chosen."
"If he put his mind to it he could almost feel sorry for the youngster, born too late to see Texas before the grasping hand of civilization reached out and spoiled it. Hewey had ridden across more country than Skip was likely ever to see. He had driven cattle to the Kansas railroad and had broken broncs from the Rio Grande to the Canadian line. He had shipped out to Cuba under Teddy Roosevelt He had traveled horseback across much of the West before it was parceled out by barbed-wire fences and ribboned with roads for the automobile. Skip would never have that opportunity or even realize what he had missed. Hewey Calloway had done it all, yet here he was, still in the prime of life."
Yes, Hewey is at the center of this novel, even though he might be older than you could infer from the above paragraph. That’s because “cowboying” takes its toll on boys and men far quicker than other forms of occupation. Hewey has lived forty plus years cowboying and it’s not only the physical toll but the on-rush of social and technological changes that have made is occupation almost obsolete.
Early on Hewey gets a surprise visit on the trail from his brother, Walter, and sister-in-law, Eve. Hewey is uncle to two young men. Cotton is the oldest and he has some latent engineering talent and an eye to the future. Tommy is the younger brother and he has always been satisfied working at the family homestead. But, now he is missing and they were hoping he went to join Hewey.
Hoping, may be too strong a word
His parents are homesteaders and Hewey is a distraction.
"Hewey replied, “You’ve made it plain many a time that you’d be a sight happier if I gave up ridin’ and taken to the plow.” “We’d all be glad if you did, but we decided a long time ago to quit tryin’ to change you. You’ll be Hewey Calloway as long as you live.” “I’ve tried bein’ somebody else, and it never worked.”"
Hewey agrees to take some responsibility for looking for Tommy and that’s an important element of this book’s plot. As Tommy and Hewey work together, it is plain that Tommy enjoys the cowboy life and being away from home. So when they have to return on business conflicts arise “and the plot thickens.”
"Tommy did not budge. Walter watched and listened, saying nothing. Hewey suspected he sided with his son, for he had not always been the homebound farmer he was now. Walter could understand what drove a boy like Tommy, eager to know the world, though he would await the proper moment before saying so. Hewey could leave, but Walter had to keep on living with Eve."
Everyone is telling Hewey that he’s getting to old for this life, but Hewey is having none of it. A misadventure on a bronc lays him up. "Aparicio said, “Mala suerte. He is a good one, that Hooey.” “Was,” Jenkins said. “If he lives, he won’t ever be the same again.” His voice darkened with regret. “He was a great cowboy in his day. I wish he’d quit while he was still in one piece.”"
There is plenty about life on the Texas plains. And Kelton provides the true flavor of the cowboy life.
"Tommy looked up at the stars. His voice was tinged with awe. “Ain’t it beautiful out here, Uncle Hewey? I never saw the like of these mountains.” Hewey nodded. “It is a smilin’ country.”"
Tommy is Hewey’s nephew. He wants to cowboy, just like his uncle.
"“Ever been tempted to do somethin’ besides cowboy?” “Not much. You’ve got to make choices. You choose one thing, you give up another. You can’t have it all.” The cowboy occupation offered many pleasures, though there were days when Hewey wondered if they were worth the bruises, lacerations and general soreness that often supplemented his meager wages. He believed being a cowboy was a privilege reserved to a chosen few. He did not know how the Lord had come to pick him, for his willful nature caused him to stray from the gospel path now and again. But he was not one to question his maker’s judgment. He was grateful to be among the chosen."
"If he put his mind to it he could almost feel sorry for the youngster, born too late to see Texas before the grasping hand of civilization reached out and spoiled it. Hewey had ridden across more country than Skip was likely ever to see. He had driven cattle to the Kansas railroad and had broken broncs from the Rio Grande to the Canadian line. He had shipped out to Cuba under Teddy Roosevelt He had traveled horseback across much of the West before it was parceled out by barbed-wire fences and ribboned with roads for the automobile. Skip would never have that opportunity or even realize what he had missed. Hewey Calloway had done it all, yet here he was, still in the prime of life."
Yes, Hewey is at the center of this novel, even though he might be older than you could infer from the above paragraph. That’s because “cowboying” takes its toll on boys and men far quicker than other forms of occupation. Hewey has lived forty plus years cowboying and it’s not only the physical toll but the on-rush of social and technological changes that have made is occupation almost obsolete.
Early on Hewey gets a surprise visit on the trail from his brother, Walter, and sister-in-law, Eve. Hewey is uncle to two young men. Cotton is the oldest and he has some latent engineering talent and an eye to the future. Tommy is the younger brother and he has always been satisfied working at the family homestead. But, now he is missing and they were hoping he went to join Hewey.
Hoping, may be too strong a word
His parents are homesteaders and Hewey is a distraction.
"Hewey replied, “You’ve made it plain many a time that you’d be a sight happier if I gave up ridin’ and taken to the plow.” “We’d all be glad if you did, but we decided a long time ago to quit tryin’ to change you. You’ll be Hewey Calloway as long as you live.” “I’ve tried bein’ somebody else, and it never worked.”"
Hewey agrees to take some responsibility for looking for Tommy and that’s an important element of this book’s plot. As Tommy and Hewey work together, it is plain that Tommy enjoys the cowboy life and being away from home. So when they have to return on business conflicts arise “and the plot thickens.”
"Tommy did not budge. Walter watched and listened, saying nothing. Hewey suspected he sided with his son, for he had not always been the homebound farmer he was now. Walter could understand what drove a boy like Tommy, eager to know the world, though he would await the proper moment before saying so. Hewey could leave, but Walter had to keep on living with Eve."
Everyone is telling Hewey that he’s getting to old for this life, but Hewey is having none of it. A misadventure on a bronc lays him up. "Aparicio said, “Mala suerte. He is a good one, that Hooey.” “Was,” Jenkins said. “If he lives, he won’t ever be the same again.” His voice darkened with regret. “He was a great cowboy in his day. I wish he’d quit while he was still in one piece.”"
There is plenty about life on the Texas plains. And Kelton provides the true flavor of the cowboy life.
April 24, 2023
"The Good Old Boys" introduced us to Hewey Calloway, a cowboy breaking broncs in West Texas. It's 1910 now, and Hewey has no use for the new fangalled automobiles or life as a farmer. Hewey is pushing 40 and everyone is telling him he's getting too old for such a physical job. He's been offered a job as a foreman on a ranch, but he loves the cowboy life breaking broncs. His nephew, Tommy, gets hired at the ranch, and Hewey has problems while protecting him from riding a wild bronc.
Restless Hewey hadn't been ready to tie the knot with the pretty schoolteacher, Spring, four years ago. He has to slow down now, and wonders if Spring would consider being part of his new life.
Hewey is such a likable, humorous character that it's enjoyable to spend time with him in "The Smiling Country." We also get to see another side of Hewey as he deals with injuries, aging, and a change in his way of life. His knowledge, stubbornness, and good humor are all qualities that will help him. Reading "The Smiling Country" gives the reader a sense of closure as Hewey rides off to his new future. 3.5 stars, rounded up.
Restless Hewey hadn't been ready to tie the knot with the pretty schoolteacher, Spring, four years ago. He has to slow down now, and wonders if Spring would consider being part of his new life.
Hewey is such a likable, humorous character that it's enjoyable to spend time with him in "The Smiling Country." We also get to see another side of Hewey as he deals with injuries, aging, and a change in his way of life. His knowledge, stubbornness, and good humor are all qualities that will help him. Reading "The Smiling Country" gives the reader a sense of closure as Hewey rides off to his new future. 3.5 stars, rounded up.
January 21, 2023
4.5 Stars I enjoyed this just as much as- if not more than the first book The Good Old Boys. Hewey Calloway is just a wonderful character, not just as fiddle-footed cowboy, but as a man who stands for something he believes in. I'm not into westerns but this is so much more than that. I love the setting, the lifestyle, the Calloway family and all the cast of regulars in these two books. I see there is a third book, actually a prequel, so I will be picking that up soon.
April 14, 2023
I enjoyed this second book of the Hewey Calloway series. Hewey is getting older, being a cowboy is becoming tougher, and horses are beginning to be replaced by motorcars. Our hero Hewey faces some big decisions as his future of continuing the tough life of a rough and tumble bronc riding cowboy is becoming very questionable. I enjoy a good western tale now and then and Kelton’s simple writing style is for me reminiscent of
other tales of bygone days such as Ralph Moody’s Ranch Series, and others which I also enjoyed.
5 stars - Read for On The Southern Literary Trail club
I heard that there is a 1994 movie of The Good Old Boys Kelton’s first Hewey Calloway book. I found it for streaming for $9.99 on Amazon Prime Video.
Perhaps someone mentioned this in reviews on that book, anyway I think I might check it out since I enjoy movies based on books I’ve read.
other tales of bygone days such as Ralph Moody’s Ranch Series, and others which I also enjoyed.
5 stars - Read for On The Southern Literary Trail club
I heard that there is a 1994 movie of The Good Old Boys Kelton’s first Hewey Calloway book. I found it for streaming for $9.99 on Amazon Prime Video.
Perhaps someone mentioned this in reviews on that book, anyway I think I might check it out since I enjoy movies based on books I’ve read.
September 5, 2024
Exactly the kind of book I love! And I expected nothing less from Elmer Kelton.
This book seemed to move a little slower than some of his others, but the Hewey is a little older than he was in The Good Ole Boys. He’s still the same lovable character though. You get to see a really raw side of Hewey and I appreciate that.
The only thing I could have asked for was for Tommy to have a little something at the ending.
As always Elmer Kelton wrote a good one!
This book seemed to move a little slower than some of his others, but the Hewey is a little older than he was in The Good Ole Boys. He’s still the same lovable character though. You get to see a really raw side of Hewey and I appreciate that.
The only thing I could have asked for was for Tommy to have a little something at the ending.
As always Elmer Kelton wrote a good one!
April 28, 2010
This is the final chapter of the tale of Hewey Calloway - the stubborn cowboy who stole hearts in Kelton's The Good Old Boys - but can be read as a quality, stand-alone book. The story opens four years down the road from The Good Old Boys, with Hewey beginning to experience symptoms of "old age" and trying desperately to ignore them, while still seeking the ideal of a West he was born too late to see. He rides with Skip, a young farmer-turned-cowhand eerily similar to Hewey in his younger days. But Hewey doesn't find the fun in Skip's antics like he once would have and instead feels yoked with the responsibility of keeping the boy out of harm. When Hewey's nephew Tommy hires on with their employer things get even worse, and Hewey finds himself in a world of trouble. Most of our favorite characters return - C.C., Fat, Walter, Eve, Alvin Lawdermilk, Snort Yarnell, Wes Wheeler, etc. - and put in a good performance. While The Good Old Boys had much to do with each choice also being a sacrifice, The Smiling Country is more about acceptance of things thrust upon us, facing one's fears, and finding the good side to a bad turn. And Kelton does not disappoint. I didn't put this on my "favorites" shelf but it came very close. And I might still change my mind. For Western genre, Elmer Kelton and Hewey Calloway are hard to beat. (For those who want a sample of the story without buying anything, a large portion of the story can be read for free through Google Books.)
March 23, 2014
I am an Elmer Kelton fan, so when I dashed into the library I headed for the "K" section. As usual Kelton did not disappoint. However, I suspect I would have enjoyed The Smiling Country even more if I had previously read The Good Old Boys and become acquainted with the characters.
I am not familiar with the West Texas of 1910 but I did live in Arizona in 1947 and can share
Hewey's nostalgia about being able to ride across unfenced open land. The then-small hamlet of Scottsdale had one paved block, hitching posts, and a sign that read "horses have the right of way."
At age 45 or so, Hewey is currently faced with aging and life changes, a theme that I at 77 can relate to, as well as to the process of recovering from illness or accident. Once again Kelton has it right.
I am not familiar with the West Texas of 1910 but I did live in Arizona in 1947 and can share
Hewey's nostalgia about being able to ride across unfenced open land. The then-small hamlet of Scottsdale had one paved block, hitching posts, and a sign that read "horses have the right of way."
At age 45 or so, Hewey is currently faced with aging and life changes, a theme that I at 77 can relate to, as well as to the process of recovering from illness or accident. Once again Kelton has it right.
November 1, 2023
An easy read that passed the time, although not the best western novel I have read (and apparently not the author's best either since other of his titles have won the Spur Award from the Western Writers Association. I did not realize that this is actually a sequel until I read the cover, but it did not really seem to make much difference.
There is nothing particularly remarkable about this novel; it is another one about a cowboy whose prime, and whose job, is now behind him. The protagonist is one of many characters who bemoan the increasing popularity of trucks and cars and relish riding their horses (even it if might take three times longer to cover the same mileage).
There is nothing particularly remarkable about this novel; it is another one about a cowboy whose prime, and whose job, is now behind him. The protagonist is one of many characters who bemoan the increasing popularity of trucks and cars and relish riding their horses (even it if might take three times longer to cover the same mileage).
July 26, 2018
Western with spirit and excellent atmosphere.
February 21, 2025
A predictable but fun romp through the dying days of the Old West in Texas. The characters are what made the story work for me.
October 20, 2014
copied and pasted from "KIRKUS REVIEW
Western storyteller Kelton (Cloudy in the West, 1997, etc.) returns for his fortieth-plus novel, a sequel to 1978’s The Good Old Boys that again features hang-loose Hewey Calloway, circa 1910, as his lovable old —Smiling Country— of West Texas fades into the automobile age. We first meet Hewey chasing a longhorn bull on the loose, an animal that symbolizes the breed of overmuscled, hardscrabble beasts soon to be phased out of beef production. In these animals, Hewey glimpses his own fate, as he herds his steers into pens at Alpine, Texas, for shipping by rail to Kansas City. When his boss, Old Man Jenkins, buys the Circle W outfit and asks Hewey to run it for him, Hewey at first passes up the promotion, not wanting to give orders and preferring to work for wages as a top hand. But after feeling some regrets about never having married Miss Spring Renfro and never having quite made his mark on the country, he accepts the Circle W job and its hundred square miles of wonderful smiling pasture. Hewey also takes his very young nephew Tommy under his wing when the boy joins the crew and learns to bust broncs. Hewey believes that he himself is still up to stomping some outlaw, extra-wild, fairly insane broncs—but when he does, he winds up with a broken arm, ribs, knee, and internal injuries. Still, he won—t surrender to trucks and automobiles, although eventually he gets around to struggling into and out of a passenger seat. By then even the sheepherders have moved in. The town livery stable may turn into a garage. . . . And just watching a bronc being busted gives Hewey a chill. Well, maybe he’ll ask for Spring Renfro’s hand (again). Old-timey dialogue, newly minted, rhetorical stretchers, and whopping good humor right out of Twain.
Western storyteller Kelton (Cloudy in the West, 1997, etc.) returns for his fortieth-plus novel, a sequel to 1978’s The Good Old Boys that again features hang-loose Hewey Calloway, circa 1910, as his lovable old —Smiling Country— of West Texas fades into the automobile age. We first meet Hewey chasing a longhorn bull on the loose, an animal that symbolizes the breed of overmuscled, hardscrabble beasts soon to be phased out of beef production. In these animals, Hewey glimpses his own fate, as he herds his steers into pens at Alpine, Texas, for shipping by rail to Kansas City. When his boss, Old Man Jenkins, buys the Circle W outfit and asks Hewey to run it for him, Hewey at first passes up the promotion, not wanting to give orders and preferring to work for wages as a top hand. But after feeling some regrets about never having married Miss Spring Renfro and never having quite made his mark on the country, he accepts the Circle W job and its hundred square miles of wonderful smiling pasture. Hewey also takes his very young nephew Tommy under his wing when the boy joins the crew and learns to bust broncs. Hewey believes that he himself is still up to stomping some outlaw, extra-wild, fairly insane broncs—but when he does, he winds up with a broken arm, ribs, knee, and internal injuries. Still, he won—t surrender to trucks and automobiles, although eventually he gets around to struggling into and out of a passenger seat. By then even the sheepherders have moved in. The town livery stable may turn into a garage. . . . And just watching a bronc being busted gives Hewey a chill. Well, maybe he’ll ask for Spring Renfro’s hand (again). Old-timey dialogue, newly minted, rhetorical stretchers, and whopping good humor right out of Twain.
April 4, 2023
This is the third book in the Hewey Calloway series. It takes place four years after The Good Old Boys. Hewey is working in the Davis Mountains, a more picturesque area than around Upton City, hence the title. For Hewey, though, there always may be a smiling country somewhere else to attract him. He plans to remain a working cowboy, especially good at breaking horses, with no responsibility for others. But fate has other plans for him. His must first look out for Skip, a headstrong youth, and, later his nephew Tommy. And his riding days take a dramatic turn when he encounters a malicious black stallion.
For those who have read the other books, the cast of characters is familiar. If they have not, some of the depth of the story will be lost.
For Hewey, the book is a coming to terms with the changes we all must face in life, especially in such a tough occupation as that of a working cowboy. A good read.
For those who have read the other books, the cast of characters is familiar. If they have not, some of the depth of the story will be lost.
For Hewey, the book is a coming to terms with the changes we all must face in life, especially in such a tough occupation as that of a working cowboy. A good read.
January 12, 2020
This is the sequel to "Good Old Boys," which highlights the disappearance of the Old West through the eyes of Hewey Calloway just as the country enters a new century. In both books, Hewey refuses to admit that he is aging and must adapt to a new way of life. In "Good Old Boy" he walked away from the love of his life to continue a life free from so-called restrictions. In "The Smiling Country" he must rethink his decision after a tragic accident. But what happened to the woman he loved and left, and what will he do for work in this changing country? I devoured the book from cover to cover as I hurried to find out what happens to Hewey and the other characters the author paints so winsomely in his stark yet elegant prose.
April 17, 2023
Oh this was such a wonderful period piece for that earliest 1900's in the area of West Texas. And the language and pace fit perfectly all to one piece of time within exact carved characterizations.
It was dangerous work, cow punching.
I foresaw the exact ending it had about half way through. You just knew this positivity of the author and the love for the places and their people would insist upon it.
It is of a tone and a objective value to good regard standards that is rarely visited in the moderns recently- for at least 10 years. Men being men and also living their own druthers and sensibilities to "fun" or right or wrong or competition or work purpose. Wanderlust also displayed and often satisfied.
Kelton can tell a good tale.
It was dangerous work, cow punching.
I foresaw the exact ending it had about half way through. You just knew this positivity of the author and the love for the places and their people would insist upon it.
It is of a tone and a objective value to good regard standards that is rarely visited in the moderns recently- for at least 10 years. Men being men and also living their own druthers and sensibilities to "fun" or right or wrong or competition or work purpose. Wanderlust also displayed and often satisfied.
Kelton can tell a good tale.
July 16, 2024
“ . . . the trend in this new century: throw away whatever was old and traditional, grasp whatever was regarded as modern . . . Fast automobiles, fast trains, electric lights that required no matches and no blowing out.”
That thought from the main character, Hewey Calloway, sums up the theme running through this fine, easy going story about second chances. Hewey is a traditional cowboy facing the challenges of getting too old to be a cowboy and to the changes in ranching and life in general at the beginning of the early 20th Century. This is a character and dialogue driven story that keeps your attention. The characters are endearing and the dialogue reveals the personalities while moving the plot along.
That thought from the main character, Hewey Calloway, sums up the theme running through this fine, easy going story about second chances. Hewey is a traditional cowboy facing the challenges of getting too old to be a cowboy and to the changes in ranching and life in general at the beginning of the early 20th Century. This is a character and dialogue driven story that keeps your attention. The characters are endearing and the dialogue reveals the personalities while moving the plot along.
May 15, 2020
A thoughtful, life-affirming and all-together satisfying conclusion to the three-part fictional saga of a West Texas cowboy.
In the vein of Lonesome Dove, but more regionally focused —and in some ways more historically realist— this is highly recommended. The characters are thoroughly developed; their dialogue historically accurate, and often wry; it’s sliced right out of history.
The content is suitable for young ages too, although the themes are universal and certainly geared towards older readers.
In the vein of Lonesome Dove, but more regionally focused —and in some ways more historically realist— this is highly recommended. The characters are thoroughly developed; their dialogue historically accurate, and often wry; it’s sliced right out of history.
The content is suitable for young ages too, although the themes are universal and certainly geared towards older readers.
Read
May 10, 2024A sequel to The Good Old Boys, taking place four years later. The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced that The Good Old Boys is a perfect or near-perfect book. This isn't, but it's still a highly enjoyable read, a similar low-key western with big themes. It’s emotional, funny, and human. My biggest problem is that Kelton lapses into more telling than showing.
As for the story, Hewey Calloway once again confronts a changing world and is forced to make difficult decisions. I'm satisfied with where Kelton leaves Hewey and the rest of the characters.
As for the story, Hewey Calloway once again confronts a changing world and is forced to make difficult decisions. I'm satisfied with where Kelton leaves Hewey and the rest of the characters.
August 6, 2024
I surely enjoyed this series. I kept picturing Ed Harris playing the lead role. this is not your typical Western. There is no gunslinger, no rustlers, no ruthless land baron, and no fast-shooting hero. this is just a charming story about a dyed-in-the-wool good-hearted cowboy living in the last days of the open range and the beginning of cars, telephones, and electricity. This story has humor, drama, and a very good ending.
January 24, 2025
Elmer Kelton is a writer of western fiction, but mostly he just writes very good books. His characters are so real that you feel you would know them, if you saw them on the street. His stories are entertaining from page one until the end of the book. If you haven't read Elmer Kelton, try this one!
December 11, 2025
The continuing story of Hewey Calloway and his exploits as a working cowboy. This time his nephew Tommy joins him and he hooks up with another green cowboy named Skip.
The country is slowly changing as the automobile is making inroads, as even ranch owners see the advantages of using a car for certain tasks.
The country is slowly changing as the automobile is making inroads, as even ranch owners see the advantages of using a car for certain tasks.
June 9, 2023
It's 1910 and the open spaces are getting fenced in. A thirty something open range cowboy resists admitting he's getting old for bronco busting. There is a lovely woman he left behind years ago.
It's a coming of age for the aged tale in a vivid Texas landscape. 3.5 stars rounded up.
It's a coming of age for the aged tale in a vivid Texas landscape. 3.5 stars rounded up.
November 9, 2024
Hewey is a Prize
This story about an aging cowboy of the early twentieth century rings true. The American cowboy’s time in the old west was short lived but glorious.Kelton paints this story better than anyone.
This story about an aging cowboy of the early twentieth century rings true. The American cowboy’s time in the old west was short lived but glorious.Kelton paints this story better than anyone.
December 12, 2024
My copy of the book clearly claims this is Book 1. I think it was written later but is earlier in the time-line
I like this peaceful presentation of living beyond the times that you enjoyed. Not fast paced. I don't think one shot was fired.
I like this peaceful presentation of living beyond the times that you enjoyed. Not fast paced. I don't think one shot was fired.
June 1, 2017
Great character. Very funny. Aplus.
July 29, 2017
"The Smilling Cowboy" Elmer Kelton
The final book of the Hewey Calloway series all a good read. What a cowboys life was really like at the turn of the century in south west Texas gave it 5 stars
The final book of the Hewey Calloway series all a good read. What a cowboys life was really like at the turn of the century in south west Texas gave it 5 stars
May 6, 2018
The Good Ole Boys -
Years ago I fell in love with the movie. Elmer Kelton is a talented writer - I’m a new fan and ready to read some more!
Years ago I fell in love with the movie. Elmer Kelton is a talented writer - I’m a new fan and ready to read some more!
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