Description
Book SynopsisA murder impels the victim's son, a naive Mennonite farm boy, his sister, and an Osage farmhand to stake their fortunes on the last land run into Oklahoma Territory. While their aims are nonviolent, the murderer has other ideas.
Trade Review"The land run in the final act of the five is as well a rousing and memorable read, swirling all three major characters in a collision with Mole and their destinies. Here Mort demonstrates the thrills, tensions, and joys in his formidable kit of writing skills. If he wished to write the chaps and spurs, white-versus black-hat Western, these passages assure the reader he could have. But Mort had something grander in mind, and in rollicking measures, he achieves it."—Steve Yates,
Western American Literature"A stirring episodic adventure worthy of a reader's time."—Vernon Schmid,
Roundup Magazine"[
Oklahoma Odyssey is] a richly detailed depiction of the daily life of a Mennonite farmer in the late-nineteenth century and a thoughtful rumination on the ways that life might be altered by the encroachment of modern technology (steam-powered cars and threshers, for example). Fans of historical fiction and literary westerns in the Larry McMurtry tradition will find much to like here."—David Pitt,
Booklist"
Oklahoma Odyssey includes a lot of interesting details based on a significant amount of research Mort undertook. It's what I consider 'quiet research' because the facts never slow down or interfere with Mort’s great storytelling. At its heart, this is a story about family and how even the strongest of bonds can be tested in stressful times."—Bill McCloud,
VVA Veteran“One might expect a tale of murder and revenge à la
True Grit, but John Mort has chosen, with his Mennonites in a new world, to tell a much richer, more forgiving story. And it’s a damn good one, culminating in that last land run. . . . I cannot recommend it highly enough.”—Tim Bazzett, author of
Soldier Boy“A spirited wide-angle Western with a revenge story at its core. . . . Deeply researched and empathetically imagined, this story explores the problematic convergence of Osages and Mennonites, pacifism and prejudice, as two sort-of brothers and a maybe-sister seek their fortunes in stolen territory. An invigorating read.”—Janet Burroway, author of
Cutting Stone“
Oklahoma Odyssey, rich in character and western history, draws you in and doesn’t let go.”—Monty McCord, author of
Mundy’s Law“
Oklahoma Odyssey has original, non-stereotyped characters and a wealth of details from everyday life. The characterization conveys . . . a commendable ethical view of human nature. At the same time, it does not indulge it what seems to be the prevailing practice of dishing up violence and sensationalism.”—John Nesbitt, author of
West of Dancing Rock“
Oklahoma Odyssey perfectly captures the era of the Oklahoma land rush in a story that is rich in historical detail. . . . Mort surrounds Euly with a compelling cast of characters and a story that both surprises and feels inevitable. It’s a terrific book that illuminates a lesser-known part of American history with a plot that will keep you reading through its crisp turns.”—Steve Wiegenstein, author of
Scattered Lights and the Daybreak Series
“As mythology is a hybrid of history and lore, so too is
Oklahoma Odyssey, with a slurry of characters with crosses to bear as they inhabit the borderland of Kansas and Oklahoma Territory. . . . Mort’s keen attention to detail and refusal to oversimplify and homogenize keep the tension elevated in this commanding portrait of Americana.”—Sidney Thompson, author of the Bass Reeves Trilogy
