Wilson, John. Written In Blood.

Wilson, John Written In Blood
Orca 2010 157p 12.95
978-1-55469-270-5 ms/jr Southwest- fiction VG-BN


In the 1870’s a young boy leaves British Columbia to search for his father. In the course of his travels he meets many unique characters and learns that solving his past opens the door to new beginnings.
Jim Doolan is a young sixteen-year-old boy who leaves his settled existence in British Columbia with his mother to go hunting for his missing father. His journey starts with a schooner ride to San Diego where he buys a pony and tack before he sets off across the desert to Tucson. In the desert he meets a deceitful old timer (and companion) who robs him of his gun and pony leaving him vulnerable. Never the less Jim continues on to Tucson only to discover that one of the men who robbed him was in the saloon. He sets up an ambush to retrieve his money but ends up killing the robber. He also meets and old Indian who befriends him and a young Indian on the warpath whom he befriends. And so goes his life until he finally traces his father to a rancho in Mexico only to find that he is dead.
In the end Jim realizes that his story is part of all of the stories and events shared with him by people along his travels. So he decides to retrace his path and fill in the details with his friend.
The story is very well written and will appeal to young readers, especially boys. It is full of tension and adventure for the reader to embrace the cruelties of the era when the Southwest was growing. It is a great followup to his Death On The River that he wrote about the Civil War era. Historical McNeil, Linda