Cry of the Hawk

Jonas Hook #1

by Terry C. Johnston

“Set primarily on the high plains during the 1860s, this novel has the epic sweep of the frontier built into it.”—Publishers WeeklyJonah Hook fought for the Confederacy at Pea Ridge and Corinth, where he was wounded, captured, and sent to the prison hellhole they called Rock Island. The only way out for the young Reb was to don a blue uniform and serve on the western frontier as a “galvanized Yankee.” Along the North Platte, Tongue, and Powder rivers, Jonah Hook fights side by side with a buckskinned scout named Shadrach Sweete. When he returns to his Missouri farm, he finds an empty house and overgrown land. Now it will take all the knowledge and hard cunning he acquired on the frontier to rescue his family from the brutal men who kidnapped them. Finding them will be the journey of a lifetime.

Genres: Westerns, Historical Fiction, Historical

481 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Terry C. Johnston was born January 1, 1947 in Arkansas City, Kansas.
Nineteen publishers rejected Johnston's first novel, Carry the Wind, before it was printed in 1982. However, this first novel was to gain the honor of receiving the Western Writers of America Medicine Pipe Bearer's Award for best first fiction. Johnston is known for his eye for historical detail, and he is a stickler for accuracy. He is known for traveling and exploring down known and unknown dusty roads during the hot summer months, and traversing slippery, muddy roads and hiking through snow to stand upon a historical sight that he would tell his readers in an upcoming book. "Parking in the lower lot, I trudged up the hill to reach the spot where Colonel John Gibbon's infantry waited out the last hours before their attack on the unsuspecting camp. Standing there in the icy snowstorm I was totally overwhelmed by the sight of those skeletal cones of lodgepoles standing stark against the low, gray sky . . ." Some of the sites that he would stand upon were known to the world like the Little Big Horn Battlefield and others would be obscure to the average reader like the Weippe Prairie north of Lochsa. He is known to combine "a roaring good tale with fascinating insights into the lives and times of his principal characters, generally managing to employ his extensive knowledge to enhance a story rather than intrude upon it" (Whitehead, 1991). Johnston would say that he considered himself "not a literary writer but a storyteller." His desire was to reach and teach thousands if not millions of readers about the early western frontier.

He accomplished part of this goal, not only through his books, but through discussions given to elementary children, lectures at symposiums, and historical one-week tours "during which you will re-live the grit and blood, the tears and tragedy of the great Indian Wars." He would blend historical fact with human emotion to re-create the past during his historical tours each summer. One presentation he gave to a fourth grade class was about the Plains Indian culture. He held a discussion with a Honors English class in Castle Rock middle school about "research, writing, and editing that goes into producing two historical novels each year, when compared to their "term papers." He gave keynote speeches at seminars and lectures at symposiums. He traveled all around Montana to sign books for fans, and he signed the books at the local Albertson's in each town. He held radio interviews that "took me into cities, talking before audiences, I never would have managed to reach otherwise."

Reviews

[Jay Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hook was a Confederate soldier captured and imprisoned in New York. Late in the war, help was needed to fight native Americans in the west and he jumped at it to get out of what he thought was certain death. He goes west and serves in the Army and they keep him even after the war ends. Finally, he gets back home to find the farm burned and his family kidnapped. He follows but loses them and when the money runs out, he scouts for the Army. It is an interesting story with plenty of action.

[F. Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hook Came from Missouri to Fight For the South

He was captured and released if he would join the Union Army to fight the indians in the West. He was gone for years and when he returned to Missouri to his wife and three children he found they had been taken by outlaw Mormons. He and his cousin went in search of them, hunted buffalo for the railroad, became a scout for the Army and little success. This book is well researched, recounting as it does many Indian battles both when Hook was a soldier and later when he was a scout. It is a very well told tale, but it lacks an appropriate ending. It was a serious disappointment to learn that we wouldn’t learn the fate of his wife and two sons until the next book. It is truly underhanded.

[Derek · Rating 1 out of 5]

I abandoned this book after about 90 pages. It was incredibly difficult to follow. Abrupt, unannounced setting changes and character introductions frustrated me the entire time.

[Mark Stangroome · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book does have one of my pet hates; a map that is not truly fit for purpose as it does not contain many of the places that serve as locations in the book.
That aside this was a good read although could have been just as good without the 'family missing' and 'avenging Mormons' themes; there was enough material just in the Indian wars to have made this an enjoyable novel.
The characters are mostly well written, with the possible exception of the aforementioned Mormons, who tend towards stereotypical 'baddies' without any redeeming features. Jonah Hook and Shad Sweete are believable and their repartee helps to keep the story-line grounded as a human story. The author also makes a good job of portraying how convoluted the situation surrounding the Indian wars was with the majority of people on both sides just trying to survive and get on with their lives.
Historical Fiction does have the benefit of not becoming dated and even though this book is nearly 30 years old if you stumble upon it then it is worthwhile.
I couldn't help myself from mostly siding with the Indians though...

[Red Murr · Rating 4 out of 5]

My interest in reading about the troubles of the civil war has grown larger

It took me a while to interpret the writing style, and some of the definitions of words, that were used as words of the times. Some of them even stumped Wikipedia. The trials and tribulations of Jonah Hook were well thought out and certainly caused me to have empathy for the character. I wondered while reading this book how much of the information given about the civil war was factual, and how much was written to enhance the story line. Either way, I need to read the next book to find out how Jonah fares in his search for peace and tranquility.

[Beverly G. Mendenhall · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written good read

A good dollop of history with actual historical characters to sweeten the read. Good fictional characters and story line. Ending anticlimatic but it was time to end. A little biased for the white man but doesn't hide the fact that both sides had dirty hands.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the history in this one, but the violence got quite graphic at times. The Indians were pretty cruel, but then so were the Mormons and I didn't care much for that. I didn't even know that there any Mormons in this book until I got to it. Definitely shows them in a bad light. Good story, though. I wonder if there is a sequel?

[Lisa Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Felt like I was right there as I read it.

Jonas and Shad are truly the men you would of wanted as mates back in this time of the Civil and Indian wars. Good long book that I had to tear myself away from and go to work. Can't wait to plow through book 2.

[Mikel Rhodes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very difficult time in American history.

I highly recommend this book of you are interested in this time in American history. This is a extremely well written story based on historical realities of the time.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good western

[Brian Carrigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Avery good story about true love of ones Family and never giving up on getting his family back

[Vikki Smalling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

Terry C Johnston is a great writer I love his books. The Titus Bass books are my favorite but this series looks like it will be compatible.

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good author from this challenge

[Edward Lewandowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

As usual, Terry C. Johnston tells a mighty good yarn. The thing I always like about his books about the Indian Wars is that he tells his story from both points of view, the soldiers and the Indians. Loved this book but it left me hanging. There must be another book that finishes the tale. Found this one at a used book sale. We'll worth the fifty cents I spent on it but now I have this urge to get the next book. I doubt I will find it at another sale.

[Jeremiah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, pretty graphic however but a good read. Would make a great movie. I didn't like the ending but hard to put this down.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Winner series, you'll thank me