Adventure fiction: Westerns

Book SynopsisBeyond the Rio Gila is, quite simply, a compelling coming-of-age story that brings history to life. It’s highly recommended reading that should be in any collection strong in historical novels.—D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book ReviewAn epic adventure of hardship and endurance, Beyond the Rio Gila follows Moses Cole, a young Virginia farmboy, who runs away from home to join the First Dragoons and their expedition from Pennsylvania to California during the Mexican-American War. He discovers mentorship under a fellow private, Abner Black, a former professor chased by personal demons. A concurrent journey by Latter-day Saints fleeing religious persecution—the Mormon Battalion, which includes four laundresses, two of whom were pregnant—soldiers through the longest march in U.S. infantry history. Their stories converge in the daunting wilderness of the American southwest, where man was not master of the landscape, and the sanity, courage, and perseverance of each is tested.Based on events preceding the American Civil War, this literary historical novel places readers in the vast frontiers of the west ablaze with battles over land, religion, and politics.As an enthusiastic history buff, I was captivated by the retelling of this epic military expedition and its significance in the unfolding formation of the United States.—Susan Brown, Pacific Book ReviewTrade ReviewInfused with historical and military detail ... this is a rich story of everyday soldiers.—The Denver PostThis tale of two battalions as they cross the deserts of New Mexico into southern California provides an exciting story of survival. —Historical Novel Society…a scrupulously researched book…attention to detail is meticulously thorough… the profusion of factual information brings…this not-so-widely-known time in history to life. As an enthusiastic history buff, I was captivated… —Pacific Book Review A compelling coming-of-age story that brings history to life. It's highly recommended reading that should be in any collection strong in historical novels and early Mormon history alike. —Midwest Book ReviewWith his debut novel, Hibbard stakes a claim in the lineage of adept chroniclers of the American West, such as A.B. Guthrie and Richard S. Wheeler . . . while rising to dazzling heights with unforgettable characters and pulse-quickening drama. —Big Sky Journal This deeply researched depiction of the U. S. military's longest march, told in evocative prose, brings a little known yet uniquely American story to life. —Montana Historical SocietyScott G. Hibbard offers us an astonishing, vivid, meticulously researched morality allegory… an elaborate tapestry made authentic as Hibbard nails period dialogue, inner and spoken that is consistently and completely credible. I’ve not appreciated the fights humans pick in such unforgiving landscapes so thoroughly since Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian. —Tom Harpole, author of Regarding Willingness Scott Hibbard…understands the past is a foreign country and knows the gritty reality of the nineteenth-century West in his bones. He has a positive genius for plotting and pacing forgotten but compelling stories inhabited by believable, engaging characters whose charm and humanity are sure to win your heart. —Will Bagley, historian and author of The Mormon Rebellion, with David L. Bigler Scott Hibbard’s…gorgeous writing puts the reader right there, whether surviving on mesquite beans, panting through a parched throat across the scorching desert, or giving birth in primitive conditions. — Margaret Rodenberg, author of Finding Napoleon: A Novel Scott’s…writing does what every good writer wishes: It lifts you off the page. —Yvonne J. Seng, author of Men in Black Dresses Beyond The Rio Gila will transport you to a time in our history that Scott Hibbard skillfully breathes new life in to…his compelling characters come alive in a flowing narrative that places you firmly in each scene. —Mike Torreano, author of The Reckoning, The Renewal, and The Trade Fine writing and a gripping story…with hardship and danger you can feel in your teeth. A deeper level touches the courage and vulnerability of the women… In the tradition of greats like A. B. Guthrie and James Welch, by an author born and raised a Montana rancher. —Neil McMahon, author of Lone Creek and Dead Silver Beyond the Rio Gila is not just a historical novel; it is classic, a well-crafted story with sophisticated characters, a smartly written plot, and humor that sinks its teeth to the very core of the reader. —Five Star review by Romuald Dzemo for Readers’ Favorite Beyond the Rio Gila is a highly literate piece of compelling historical fiction… The exquisite prose…lends an incredibly authentic voice to this intrepid tale… A wonderful and complex historical recollection. — Five Star review by Joel R. Dennstedt for Readers’ Favorite

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