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The Unforgiven
In this epic American novel, which served as the basis for the classic film directed by John Huston, a family is torn apart when an old enemy starts a vicious rumor that sets the range aflame.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1957
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1,182 people want to read
About the author
Alan LeMay
45 books41 followersAlan Brown Le May was an American novelist and screenplay writer. He is most remembered for two classic Western novels, The Searchers and The Unforgiven. They were adapted into the motion pictures "The Searchers" and "The Unforgiven".
He also wrote or co-wrote the screenplays for "North West Mounted Police" (1940), "Reap the Wild Wind" (1942), "Blackbeard the Pirate" (1952). He wrote the original source novel for "Along Came Jones" (1945), as well as a score of other screenplays and an assortment of other novels and short stories. Le May wrote and directed "High Lonesome" (1950). Le May also wrote and produced (but did not direct) "Quebec" (1951.
He also wrote or co-wrote the screenplays for "North West Mounted Police" (1940), "Reap the Wild Wind" (1942), "Blackbeard the Pirate" (1952). He wrote the original source novel for "Along Came Jones" (1945), as well as a score of other screenplays and an assortment of other novels and short stories. Le May wrote and directed "High Lonesome" (1950). Le May also wrote and produced (but did not direct) "Quebec" (1951.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 127 reviews
January 31, 2021
There are few genres that can rival “The Western” for formulaic success. Zane Gray and Louis L’Amour became well-know and “well-off” because of their ability to add characters and plots to the myth of the American West. Larry McMurtry may have written one of the most perfect novels, Lonesome Dove, playing with and against those elements.
Alan LeMay (born 1899) grew up on the plains and, seemingly, absorbed much of its color and nature. He is probably most famous for his novel, The Searchers, but should also be credited as an important screen writer for movies such as Along Came Jones and The Sundowners. The Unforgiven was made into a movie (directed by John Huston and starring Burt Lancaster and Audrey Hepburn) but he is only credited with authoring the book. (I saw the movie but feel that Huston was not able to get the essentials into the movie in the way he showed his prowess in films such as: The Treasure of the Sierra Madre or Key Largo.)
In this novel, LeMay provides a picture of the post Civil War West as the American Indians were pushed and killed to make way for ranchers and homesteaders.
“The vast areas the Horse Indians required, in order to live by the hunt, could not much longer be held against a race that fed a thousand people upon land the Wild Tribes needed to feed one. The buffalo, the one great essential to nomadic life on the prairie, was already going, and would soon be gone.”
This story is brutal in is portrayal of the racism and hate of whites for Indians. It revolves around the Zachary family now led by son, Ben, and their attempts to establish a horse and cattle ranch in the Texas plains after having been driven out of their previous home by rumors about their daughter Rachel’s “Indian blood.”
Rachel knew she was adopted by the Zacharys, but she was never told about how the elder Zachary “rescued” her as a Kiowa baby from being killed by another white man. The story gets complex as those rumors again pop-up in their new home and LeMay shows in vivid language how passionate feelings were. This is one of Rachel’s brothers trying to advise and console her:
""And another thing," he said, through the moon-tempered dark. "You're not an Indian-not a rednigger kind, nor a Civilized Nation kind, nor any other kind. So quit fooling around with the notion you might be, you hear?""
At the novel’s conclusion there is no typical “Western” ending. And, LeMay takes time to comment on the fate of the Kiowa tribe that was an important component of this tale. In this, he is giving the reader the straight history, not a novelist’s recreation of the facts:
“A handful of hard-riding warriors, kept few by their very way of life, could no longer use the Territory as a sanctuary from which to launch their forays. Satank was dead, and his son, Sitting Bear; young White Wolf, and Lives-in-the-Saddle, favorite son of Lone Wolf, died in a defeated raid. Within six months Yellow Wolf, Rising Bird, Wild Dog, Singing Tree, Striking Horse, Red Otter, and Lame Wolf would be dead. Of those who survived, Lone Wolf, Satanta, Big Tree, Sky Walker, Woman’s Heart, War Eagle, White Horse, and Bear Paw, and fifty more-all those who had been the hard cutting edge of the Kiowas-would be on their way to imprisonment and exile.”
This is a powerful and sad tale, well-told.
Alan LeMay (born 1899) grew up on the plains and, seemingly, absorbed much of its color and nature. He is probably most famous for his novel, The Searchers, but should also be credited as an important screen writer for movies such as Along Came Jones and The Sundowners. The Unforgiven was made into a movie (directed by John Huston and starring Burt Lancaster and Audrey Hepburn) but he is only credited with authoring the book. (I saw the movie but feel that Huston was not able to get the essentials into the movie in the way he showed his prowess in films such as: The Treasure of the Sierra Madre or Key Largo.)
In this novel, LeMay provides a picture of the post Civil War West as the American Indians were pushed and killed to make way for ranchers and homesteaders.
“The vast areas the Horse Indians required, in order to live by the hunt, could not much longer be held against a race that fed a thousand people upon land the Wild Tribes needed to feed one. The buffalo, the one great essential to nomadic life on the prairie, was already going, and would soon be gone.”
This story is brutal in is portrayal of the racism and hate of whites for Indians. It revolves around the Zachary family now led by son, Ben, and their attempts to establish a horse and cattle ranch in the Texas plains after having been driven out of their previous home by rumors about their daughter Rachel’s “Indian blood.”
Rachel knew she was adopted by the Zacharys, but she was never told about how the elder Zachary “rescued” her as a Kiowa baby from being killed by another white man. The story gets complex as those rumors again pop-up in their new home and LeMay shows in vivid language how passionate feelings were. This is one of Rachel’s brothers trying to advise and console her:
""And another thing," he said, through the moon-tempered dark. "You're not an Indian-not a rednigger kind, nor a Civilized Nation kind, nor any other kind. So quit fooling around with the notion you might be, you hear?""
At the novel’s conclusion there is no typical “Western” ending. And, LeMay takes time to comment on the fate of the Kiowa tribe that was an important component of this tale. In this, he is giving the reader the straight history, not a novelist’s recreation of the facts:
“A handful of hard-riding warriors, kept few by their very way of life, could no longer use the Territory as a sanctuary from which to launch their forays. Satank was dead, and his son, Sitting Bear; young White Wolf, and Lives-in-the-Saddle, favorite son of Lone Wolf, died in a defeated raid. Within six months Yellow Wolf, Rising Bird, Wild Dog, Singing Tree, Striking Horse, Red Otter, and Lame Wolf would be dead. Of those who survived, Lone Wolf, Satanta, Big Tree, Sky Walker, Woman’s Heart, War Eagle, White Horse, and Bear Paw, and fifty more-all those who had been the hard cutting edge of the Kiowas-would be on their way to imprisonment and exile.”
This is a powerful and sad tale, well-told.
March 7, 2022
4.5 stars…..that was some way to end a book. Intense!!! I felt like I was there in that sod house. The themes of Prejudice and racism for this time period are easily identified. The sense of where one belongs or who they are accepted by is powerful. I may like this one better than the authors book The Searchers, but honestly a reader can’t go wrong with reading either one.
February 15, 2020
Alan Le May es sobre todo conocido por ser el autor de la novela en la que se basó la pelicula de John Ford, Centauros del Desierto, y quizás este hecho haya ensombrecido de alguna forma su valor literario, en el sentido de que la calidad de la pelicula es ya suficientemente reconocida y tan popular que nadie parece acordarse del material de origen, la novela. Todavía no la he leído, pero si que me atrevido con otra suya, Los Que No Perdonan de la cual también se hizo una adaptación al cine dirigida por John Huston, de la que hablaré luego.
El caso es que mientras que en Centauros del Desierto una niña es raptada por los indios y criada como uno de ellos con la consiguiente búsqueda de su familia para encontrarla durante años, en la novela que me ocupa se da justo el caso contrario: una niña india es encontrada por una familia de ganaderos, los Zachary, y la crian como suya; años después su supuesta familia india se enfrenta a los Zachary para recuperarla.
"Rachel no dudó ni un instante de que era de sangre kiowa. Había demasiadas cosas que lo probaban, además de la convicción que tantos mantenían acerca de las afirmaciones de Abe Kelsey. (...) Y cómo malgastaban todos los limones que podían conseguir intentando hacer cremas para aclararle la piel. Y que nunca le permitieron llevar mocasiones con cuentas de colores ni nada con aspecto indio".
Los Que No Perdonan, es ante todo una novela sobre la búsqueda de su protagonista, Rachel, para encontrar su identidad. A Alan Le May se le da muy bien el desarrollo de personajes, no solo de los blancos sino de los kiowa y es capaz de meternos en la piel de ambas razas a la hora de explicarnos y hacernos entender el porqué del conflicto creado. El lector es capaz de discernir perfectamente ambos puntos de vista en la Texas de 1870: la lucha por la supervivencia era tan dura para uno como para el otro bando, sanguinaria y cruel. Familias que vivían inmersas en el miedo de ser atacados por los indios continuamente pero por otra parte, los kiowa reclamando lo que era suyo, es el otro punto de vista, que en mi opinión da a esta novela una gama de matices que me han sorprendido y que despejan cualquier duda sobre su calidad literaria. Alan Le May era un gran escritor, nada maniqueo.
En esta novela, que se centra esencialmente en la búsqueda de identidad de Rachel, quizás el otro tema importante es el prejuicio racial, y Le May está continuamene dando ejemplos, cotidianos, domésticos, que definen este conflicto magnificamente. Me ha gustado mucho esta novela sobre todo por lo bien descritos que están los personajes, con mucha carga psicológica, nada planos, todo lo contrario. Y el contexto social e histórico de la época también está perfectamente desarrollado lo que te hace entender perfectamente ambos puntos de vista.
En 1960, John Huston adaptó esta novela y después de leer la novela, creo que la pelicula es muy irregular comparada con la novela. El casting no es el más idóneo y por otra parte, hay un cierto tufo machista y posesivo en el personaje de Burt Lancaster que me echa un poco para atrás, al contrario que en la novela, donde este tufo no existía. En definitiva, que la novela me parece muy superior a su adaptación cinematográfica y la he disfrutado tanto, que me atreveré con Centauros del desierto.
"Entremedias se extendía una soledad tremenda. Cazadores de búfalos, hombres valientes como ángeles y sucios como lobos, recorrían aquella tierra salvaje durante las temporadas de caza. A veces se topaban con el esqueleto quemado de una cabaña y acampaban allí sobre las tumbas de sus habitantes. En otras ocasiones se cruzaban con partidas de guerreros kiowas y averiguaban como habían llegado las tumbas a ese lugar."
https://kansasbooks.blogspot.com/2020...
El caso es que mientras que en Centauros del Desierto una niña es raptada por los indios y criada como uno de ellos con la consiguiente búsqueda de su familia para encontrarla durante años, en la novela que me ocupa se da justo el caso contrario: una niña india es encontrada por una familia de ganaderos, los Zachary, y la crian como suya; años después su supuesta familia india se enfrenta a los Zachary para recuperarla.
"Rachel no dudó ni un instante de que era de sangre kiowa. Había demasiadas cosas que lo probaban, además de la convicción que tantos mantenían acerca de las afirmaciones de Abe Kelsey. (...) Y cómo malgastaban todos los limones que podían conseguir intentando hacer cremas para aclararle la piel. Y que nunca le permitieron llevar mocasiones con cuentas de colores ni nada con aspecto indio".
Los Que No Perdonan, es ante todo una novela sobre la búsqueda de su protagonista, Rachel, para encontrar su identidad. A Alan Le May se le da muy bien el desarrollo de personajes, no solo de los blancos sino de los kiowa y es capaz de meternos en la piel de ambas razas a la hora de explicarnos y hacernos entender el porqué del conflicto creado. El lector es capaz de discernir perfectamente ambos puntos de vista en la Texas de 1870: la lucha por la supervivencia era tan dura para uno como para el otro bando, sanguinaria y cruel. Familias que vivían inmersas en el miedo de ser atacados por los indios continuamente pero por otra parte, los kiowa reclamando lo que era suyo, es el otro punto de vista, que en mi opinión da a esta novela una gama de matices que me han sorprendido y que despejan cualquier duda sobre su calidad literaria. Alan Le May era un gran escritor, nada maniqueo.
En esta novela, que se centra esencialmente en la búsqueda de identidad de Rachel, quizás el otro tema importante es el prejuicio racial, y Le May está continuamene dando ejemplos, cotidianos, domésticos, que definen este conflicto magnificamente. Me ha gustado mucho esta novela sobre todo por lo bien descritos que están los personajes, con mucha carga psicológica, nada planos, todo lo contrario. Y el contexto social e histórico de la época también está perfectamente desarrollado lo que te hace entender perfectamente ambos puntos de vista.
En 1960, John Huston adaptó esta novela y después de leer la novela, creo que la pelicula es muy irregular comparada con la novela. El casting no es el más idóneo y por otra parte, hay un cierto tufo machista y posesivo en el personaje de Burt Lancaster que me echa un poco para atrás, al contrario que en la novela, donde este tufo no existía. En definitiva, que la novela me parece muy superior a su adaptación cinematográfica y la he disfrutado tanto, que me atreveré con Centauros del desierto.
"Entremedias se extendía una soledad tremenda. Cazadores de búfalos, hombres valientes como ángeles y sucios como lobos, recorrían aquella tierra salvaje durante las temporadas de caza. A veces se topaban con el esqueleto quemado de una cabaña y acampaban allí sobre las tumbas de sus habitantes. En otras ocasiones se cruzaban con partidas de guerreros kiowas y averiguaban como habían llegado las tumbas a ese lugar."
https://kansasbooks.blogspot.com/2020...
December 5, 2013
The Unforgiven is a very internse and powerful book set in the rugged Texas panhandle (circa 1874). Central to the plot is the Zachary family: mother "Tilda" (worn down mentally), oldest brother Ben and surrogate father (24 years of age - the father, Zach, had drowned four years before in a river cattle crossing), brother Cash (21 years), sister Rachael (17 years) and Andy (16 years). The family are ranchers striving to eke out a living. Rachel is not the biological child of Zach and Tilda, but was found on the plains as a baby. Her parentage is questionable, whether white, Indian or of mixed race is unknown. Rachel is not aware of this and is very much an integral sibling in the family. The narrative focuses on Rachel, race relations (whites and the maurading Kiowas), cattle ranching on the Texas plains in the late 1800s, and more. I was particularly impressed with the writing style of Alan LeMay. He is a powerful, intense writer, adept at infusing in the dialogue the Western vernacular of this era. The cowboy slang, emotive expressions, and compelling metaphors, coupled with the lack of proper grammar extant in the southwest at this time and place (yet sometimes even more expressive than the King's English), made the narrative beautifully eloquent. The action was harsh and gritty yet the author never stooped to exploitation or sensationalism. I just finished LeMay's "The Searchers" and was so impressed I decided to read more of his works. I was not disappointed with "The Unforgiven." I have read many of L'Amour's Westerns and considered him the consummate spinner or Western yarns. After reading "The Searchers" and "The Unforgiven", I have come to view L'Amour as LeMay-lite.
January 6, 2018
This is quite simply an excellent western that surpasses ninety percent of all westerns. Nothing about Alan LeMay is contrived, and he presents a side of the frontier west that is both gritty and adventurous. He writes with far greater literary skill than one of my other favorite western writers Louis L'Amour, and he knows the west and lets his abundant knowledge filter through both the characters and the setting. Even if you don't like westerns because of their formulaic quality, you'll like LeMay because his work contains interesting, well-round characters and compelling predicaments. He imparts the wisdom that got certain frontiersmen through the worst of things--mainly the Native Americans who scalped white men, women, and children with the same disregard for life that you might skin a chicken. His prose is thoughtful and he doesn't shortchange you. You can learn a great deal about life on the frontier from this horse opera. Racism is the main theme of this western. A white family adopts a lost Indian girl and this show of compassion turns their fellow whites against them. The neighbors hate them because they believe that the Indians bypass their during their raids because they have taken in the girl. The girl, however, doesn't have a clue that she has been adopted, until an angry white threatens to reveal all about her.
April 27, 2020
Continuing with my classic westerns 'stay at home' project, I chose ‘The Unforgiven’, a novel by Alan LeMay, writer of ‘The Searchers’, one of my all-time favorite western novels. I expected much and was sorely disappointed. The novel took ages to get up and running, and when it did, it just dragged. The attacks that made up the last part of the book persisted chapter after chapter, and the ending didn’t seem to be as strong as one would expect from LeMay. The prose was good and kept me going to the end, but that good prose was just not enough.
November 16, 2024
REREAD: July 2024
October 20, 2017
Going into this novel, I wasn't sure what to expect. I'm familiar with the movie version of The Searchers, starring John Wayne, but I had not read the novel. Neither had I read this book, nor seen its movie incarnation. Awhile back, I came across it on Amazon and added it to my Watchlist to get to sometime in the future. Then good ole Amazon, thought enough to recommend the book to me, which is available for borrowing, free for Prime users. So, I thought I'd tackle the book first.
Given the extremely short summary here, I actually wasn't sure what the novel was actually about. So, from the back cover of the Kindle edition I read:
While I wasn't blown away, and there are a few flaws in the novel, I still enjoyed this tale at least as much as I had anticipated. LeMay has a delicious cadence in his narration. The words and rhythms are beautiful at times and gentle, yet insistent. They are neither overly poetic nor gratingly starchy.
Under the ground and upon it and in the air, every winter-deadened thing awoke, turned young and eager; and human hearts rose singing in answer.
However, some of the language does leave a lot to be desired. Namely the chosen derogatory term, so casually bandied about, makes it hard to concentrate while reading, or to avoid making a sour face. Red nigger is distasteful at best and horrific at least. There's so much weight with those two words joined together that two entire races of people are slathered in the ugliness of it each and every time. There are, of course, novels where the racist terms within are there because the characters speak that way, or "because of the times" in which the novel is set, but the problem I have with the usage of such terms in this book is that they seem wholly out of place.
Throughout the book, there is hardly a curse word said, and—aside from the racist remarks—there’s a quiet solemnity to the novel. Calm and capable. It's been said that the novel's purpose (and therefore the movie's, by extension) is to tackle racism and its effects. I cannot find that in this book. Yes, there is the opportunity to do so, but either the author barely scratched the surface, or the undertones are so quiet that you could do nothing but wonder what is actually being said about racism. Thus, this derogatory term when used, feels like its place is to shock and startle, which breaks up the momentum of the book altogether. The story warrants neither such attempts at shock, nor does it require it. The shock value is so extremely low here that I'd find it hard to recommend the book solely based on that truth.
The ending is rather stunted in actuality, and seems like an entire chapter was lopped off the end. In fact, to fully explore seemingly deep-rooted, racist beliefs, this is the part of the novel to do so. As Rachel learns to fully explore her own truths, contrasted with what she had previously believed to be true, our grasp on her realness as a character loosens. The novel would've gained so much awareness had LeMay delved farther into this character alone. She and Ben both have patchy and spotty character arcs, and they are truly the only two who have them to begin with. The highlight of the book is actually the mother, Matthilda Zachary, and Georgia Rawlins. I think if a little more effort on LeMay's part had been applied to these two, and explored in more depth, the attempts at tackling racist beliefs of Native Americans and those of mixed race heritage would have proven more successful and in a greater and brighter light.
But, I do recognize some of that is a complex interpretation of trying to apply a 21st century view on a novel written in the mid-20th century which is set at the very beginning of the last quarter of the 19th century—post-Civil War, to further underscore the point. So, I shall give it some slack. Despite my lengthy points on its flaws, as I see them, the novel is actually well-written with some beautiful passages about life and the wild landscape of the Texas Panhandle in the early 1870s.
Given the extremely short summary here, I actually wasn't sure what the novel was actually about. So, from the back cover of the Kindle edition I read:
The Texas Panhandle was a harsh and unforgiving place, but the Zachary family managed to get by. Until their world was upended by an old enemy who started a vicious rumor about the true identity of beautiful seventeen-year-old Rachel Zachary. Now their neighbors want her dead, and a band of Kiowa warriors are out to claim her for their own. There's only one man who will stand up for her. But in protecting Rachel, he might just be signing his own death warrant.
While I wasn't blown away, and there are a few flaws in the novel, I still enjoyed this tale at least as much as I had anticipated. LeMay has a delicious cadence in his narration. The words and rhythms are beautiful at times and gentle, yet insistent. They are neither overly poetic nor gratingly starchy.
Under the ground and upon it and in the air, every winter-deadened thing awoke, turned young and eager; and human hearts rose singing in answer.
However, some of the language does leave a lot to be desired. Namely the chosen derogatory term, so casually bandied about, makes it hard to concentrate while reading, or to avoid making a sour face. Red nigger is distasteful at best and horrific at least. There's so much weight with those two words joined together that two entire races of people are slathered in the ugliness of it each and every time. There are, of course, novels where the racist terms within are there because the characters speak that way, or "because of the times" in which the novel is set, but the problem I have with the usage of such terms in this book is that they seem wholly out of place.
Throughout the book, there is hardly a curse word said, and—aside from the racist remarks—there’s a quiet solemnity to the novel. Calm and capable. It's been said that the novel's purpose (and therefore the movie's, by extension) is to tackle racism and its effects. I cannot find that in this book. Yes, there is the opportunity to do so, but either the author barely scratched the surface, or the undertones are so quiet that you could do nothing but wonder what is actually being said about racism. Thus, this derogatory term when used, feels like its place is to shock and startle, which breaks up the momentum of the book altogether. The story warrants neither such attempts at shock, nor does it require it. The shock value is so extremely low here that I'd find it hard to recommend the book solely based on that truth.
The ending is rather stunted in actuality, and seems like an entire chapter was lopped off the end. In fact, to fully explore seemingly deep-rooted, racist beliefs, this is the part of the novel to do so. As Rachel learns to fully explore her own truths, contrasted with what she had previously believed to be true, our grasp on her realness as a character loosens. The novel would've gained so much awareness had LeMay delved farther into this character alone. She and Ben both have patchy and spotty character arcs, and they are truly the only two who have them to begin with. The highlight of the book is actually the mother, Matthilda Zachary, and Georgia Rawlins. I think if a little more effort on LeMay's part had been applied to these two, and explored in more depth, the attempts at tackling racist beliefs of Native Americans and those of mixed race heritage would have proven more successful and in a greater and brighter light.
But, I do recognize some of that is a complex interpretation of trying to apply a 21st century view on a novel written in the mid-20th century which is set at the very beginning of the last quarter of the 19th century—post-Civil War, to further underscore the point. So, I shall give it some slack. Despite my lengthy points on its flaws, as I see them, the novel is actually well-written with some beautiful passages about life and the wild landscape of the Texas Panhandle in the early 1870s.
September 25, 2024
MA-RA-VI-LLA.
Retrato de la vida doméstica en la frontera y thriller. Debería leerla todo aquel que piense que no le gusta el western.
La peli no es lo mismo.
Retrato de la vida doméstica en la frontera y thriller. Debería leerla todo aquel que piense que no le gusta el western.
La peli no es lo mismo.
October 7, 2021
The 2nd ever Western i`ve ever read-if you don`t count Black Robe,which is set in Canada over 2 centuries earlier.Also it`s by Alan LeMay like my first of his The Searchers.I read The Searchers because i loved the movie so much and liked the book as much.As much for its differences.But this book is way better than the movie based on it and as great as The Searchers in it`s on right.This book does something that i thought no book from 1957 would say.Something that few books written now would say about the plains indians.Warfare and cruelty were endemic to their culture.A line from the novel-The Kiowas raided for glory,loot,and sport.LeMay grew up in areas that in the past encroached on their territories and bore their attacks.If only people could look at history for what it is without coloring it with their own political barrow which they are trying to push.Maybe that`s asking too much.Anyway i can`t recommend this book enough.I mainly give 5 stars to books because i usually only review the ones i like.But this one really deserves all the stars.Simply great.
March 26, 2012
There is a secret within the Zachary family, their only daughter, Rachael, may be of Kiowa blood. With neighbors ready to tell the tale and accusing the Zachary's of being "Indian Lovers" and War chiefs within the Kiowa nation ready to take back what is theirs, Rachael and her family must face the past and survive the future.
I can see why this was made into a movie, it's a fantastic story and I rate it among the best I have ever read.
I can see why this was made into a movie, it's a fantastic story and I rate it among the best I have ever read.
November 2, 2018
As a fan of Westerns (movies and books), I'd looked forward to this story from Alan LeMay. He does a good job creating the sense of place (Texas, mid 1870's) and the harsh realities of cattle ranching during that time.
The plot follows the Zachary family, whose patriarch died some years earlier while driving a herd across a dangerous river at twilight. His sons have mostly carried on the goals set by the elder Zachary, with the eldest, Ben, taking on the paternal role as best he can. His younger brothers, Cassius and Andy tend to the daily business of rounding up and herding cattle, seeing to fencing, etc., while the mother (Matilda) and younger sister (Rachel) look after the home and food prep. The home, it should be said, is really more of a reinforced dugout with a connected root cellar, and has been constructed with numerous small openings (that are plugged when not in use) through which occupants can see and shoot would-be marauding Kiowa Indians.
And it is with the Kiowa that much of the book deals. Seems that Rachel, unbeknownst to her for most of her 17 years, is not a biological child of the Zachary family but, rather, likely of Kiowa decent. Picked up on the trail as an abandoned infant and raised as one of their own, Rachel is deeply rooted in this family, and has special affection for Ben. Once she discovers the truth, however, she begins a tortured journey of introspection, trying to calculate just what her role in the family is. There is a strong suggestion that is never articulated fully, that freed from the stigma of a familial connection, she and Ben might explore their mutual attraction for one another. LeMay lets this dangle unanswered, however.
The prejudice against the Kiowa is central to the story, and if you are offended by the "N" word (here used with the prefix "red" to indicate Indians), then this book might not be for you. LeMay certainly wanted the reader to feel the hatred and senseless bigotry held by so many white settlers against the Native Americans. He also wanted to convey the social damage done by rumor mongering, stating claims (whether or not founded) against an individual of being an Indian or harboring sympathies for them. Not too different from today.
On the whole, this is a well written book, but I found the writing style a bit stodgy at times, and the pacing rather slow until about 3/4 of the way through the book. Once all hell breaks loose (as you knew it would) between the Kiowas and the Zachary family, the story becomes very engaging and more enjoyable. The ending is a bit of a disappointment, however, and thus a three star rating.
The plot follows the Zachary family, whose patriarch died some years earlier while driving a herd across a dangerous river at twilight. His sons have mostly carried on the goals set by the elder Zachary, with the eldest, Ben, taking on the paternal role as best he can. His younger brothers, Cassius and Andy tend to the daily business of rounding up and herding cattle, seeing to fencing, etc., while the mother (Matilda) and younger sister (Rachel) look after the home and food prep. The home, it should be said, is really more of a reinforced dugout with a connected root cellar, and has been constructed with numerous small openings (that are plugged when not in use) through which occupants can see and shoot would-be marauding Kiowa Indians.
And it is with the Kiowa that much of the book deals. Seems that Rachel, unbeknownst to her for most of her 17 years, is not a biological child of the Zachary family but, rather, likely of Kiowa decent. Picked up on the trail as an abandoned infant and raised as one of their own, Rachel is deeply rooted in this family, and has special affection for Ben. Once she discovers the truth, however, she begins a tortured journey of introspection, trying to calculate just what her role in the family is. There is a strong suggestion that is never articulated fully, that freed from the stigma of a familial connection, she and Ben might explore their mutual attraction for one another. LeMay lets this dangle unanswered, however.
The prejudice against the Kiowa is central to the story, and if you are offended by the "N" word (here used with the prefix "red" to indicate Indians), then this book might not be for you. LeMay certainly wanted the reader to feel the hatred and senseless bigotry held by so many white settlers against the Native Americans. He also wanted to convey the social damage done by rumor mongering, stating claims (whether or not founded) against an individual of being an Indian or harboring sympathies for them. Not too different from today.
On the whole, this is a well written book, but I found the writing style a bit stodgy at times, and the pacing rather slow until about 3/4 of the way through the book. Once all hell breaks loose (as you knew it would) between the Kiowas and the Zachary family, the story becomes very engaging and more enjoyable. The ending is a bit of a disappointment, however, and thus a three star rating.
December 22, 2010
First-rate realistic traditional Western set in 1874 along the Texas Panhandle. Full-fledged characters. I also liked the vivid details given about the cattle drives, life in a soddy house (not for me), and violent clashes with the Kiowas Indians. The novel's main strife pivots on the true identity of the 17-year-old Rachel Zachary who may or may not be of Kiowa blood. A rousing stand-off occurs at the climatic ending. A movie of the book was made starring Burt Lancaster and Audrey Hepburn, though I've never watched it.
December 15, 2020
Old Time Western
Mr LeMay has written many great Western books and this is one of my favorites.
The movie was good but nothing beats what the author had written. Too many artistic licenses.
This story is about two families that struggles to raise cattle and families in a harsh environment.
And to complicate this the two closest neighbors they had a falling out over money.
But they also have to deal with Native Americans who wanted something back from the Zachary's and were willing to fight to the death to retrieve the...., I don't want to give too much away.
Great stuff.
Mr LeMay has written many great Western books and this is one of my favorites.
The movie was good but nothing beats what the author had written. Too many artistic licenses.
This story is about two families that struggles to raise cattle and families in a harsh environment.
And to complicate this the two closest neighbors they had a falling out over money.
But they also have to deal with Native Americans who wanted something back from the Zachary's and were willing to fight to the death to retrieve the...., I don't want to give too much away.
Great stuff.
February 2, 2021
Good prose, good world building, good characterization, good story, and a theme. Yep, 5-stars.
Written in 1957 LeMay sugar coats neither history nor cultural attitudes and there is much on display that is quite ugly. But he has a point in all of this. No matter how you came to be born if you were raised in the Kiowa culture you became a Kiowa and if you were raised in the Frontier Texan culture you became a Frontier Texan. And both cultures, for all their differences, had their fair share of both brutality and nobility.
Written in 1957 LeMay sugar coats neither history nor cultural attitudes and there is much on display that is quite ugly. But he has a point in all of this. No matter how you came to be born if you were raised in the Kiowa culture you became a Kiowa and if you were raised in the Frontier Texan culture you became a Frontier Texan. And both cultures, for all their differences, had their fair share of both brutality and nobility.
June 27, 2021
Beautifully written, seemingly authentic, sometimes too brutally authentic for me, of a family’s life in Texas just after the Civil War. It sure is not a cowboy story, all the characters are real, and you feel for them as they struggle to live and survive in a harsh landscape, contending with sometimes judgy neighbors spreading rumors, and Kiowa Indians fighting for what used to be theirs. That’s by no means all, either. Phew. 4 stars because I won’t want to read it again, but it sure kept my attention.
February 7, 2018
I thought the writing was very good, very authentic. The author has no problem bumping off major characters and in the end handles Rachael's origins in a very interesting way. I don't know if the author was reflecting the bigotry of 1957 or 1874 but it was a bit uncomfortable with the Kiowa being called non human, half human or "red niggers" - an expression I had never heard before. Not your typical western and even better than LeMay's "The Searchers"
July 17, 2015
An emotionally challenging book. Very well written. Leaving all the heartache as implication rather than spelling it all out. Excellent accurate period data. Nicely done. I will probably seek out The Searchers.
November 17, 2024
by
Alan LeMayFinish date: 17.11.2024
Genre: Historical fiction
Rating: C+
#Classic
Bad News: The novel took ages to get up and running, and when it did, it just dragged. The first "real" plot point was at 34% of the book! I had to read a lot about the landscape and cattle drives to get to something interesting!
Good news The fear of indian attack on Rachel Zachary's home and family jolted me awake.
The author's imagination takes the reader in the middle of a horrfic "battle to the death" between Rachel and her brother Andy against the Kiowas warriors. I must admit it was a white-knuckle read!
Personal: The story did get better. I read this for a reading challenge...otherwise I don't think I would have pulled this book off the shelf. But it is always good to get out of one's comfort zone.
Book for...Western Pioneer Adventure buffs!
December 29, 2024
Good story telling, I enjoyed the characters and plot. A bit more violent than I prefer, but I could skim over it pretty easily without losing the storyline. The ending was a tad abrupt and open ended.
May 25, 2023
La frontera en un estado puro, y crudo.
May 19, 2017
Review to follow.
August 14, 2020
Alan LeMay – The Unforgiven – Reviewed 8/13/20 – Read 7/27-30/20
When enemies are out to tear you down, rumors will do what man cannot do!
Just outside of Wichita was the home of the Zachary’s. Rachel, her 3 brothers, and their mom lived in a Soddy. It was built so well that you could hardly see it. It was also quite large as Soddies went, with a separate bedroom for Rachel and her mom. Most of the Zachary family's life had been on the move except for this place, they have been there for 5 years now. It is March of 1874, and Texas has its own government for the first time since the war. It has been hard living and fighting off the hostile tribes that had been riding the range and killing the settlers, stealing their stock, and kidnapping their womenfolk.
A few years back, their pa was killed on a trail drive when he was crossing a river. Since then it has been the boys that had kept them afloat. The history for Rachel, she knew that ma and pa were not her real folks. Her pa had found her alone on a wagon trail, taking her home and they have been loving her ever since. When an old enemy of their pa shows up and starts a rumor about Rachel, things go to pieces. The Indians show up and demand that they give up Rachel…
And now the story begins…
What did I like? When you stop and think about it, what happened to Rachel could have happened to anyone in those days. Families back then were right large, 10 to 15 kids, and I am sure it was hard to keep up with them. When a family had been wishing for a girl and one just appears in front of you, Well, doggone it, I am sure that they would love it with all their hearts. After 17 years, who, in their right mind would question that love or relationship? Life was tough, and family was the only thing that kept people going then. When the Indians were such a threat to the life of the homesteaders and cattle ranchers, having a large family assured that you would have enough help to go around for all the chores! I remember many years back visiting the ranches where my parents grew up. Mom’s was a Soddy, dug 18 feet into the ground with 3 rooms, one for her parents, one for the three girls, and the main area where her brother slept. The truly unusual thing about their place was that on one corner, an underground stream ran. The water was ice cold, that was their refrigerator. Just across the wash, up the side about halfway were some caves. There were pictures drawn on the walls. I do not know if they were ever dated but I am sure it was a long time ago.
What will you like? The incredible action, amazing storyline, intriguing characters, and filled with very emotional moments in Rachel’s life. The author’s descriptions give you the sense of being right there, hearing the wind blow, the horse's hooves, the bullets flying, and the fear of the fight. Feel the pain and hear the words of the family when the fight begins. Hear them again when it is all over, with such sadness. Here is another plight of the western family, fighting just to hang on!!!
• File Size: 1406 KB
• Print Length: 288 pages
• Publisher: AmazonEncore (March 12, 2013)
• Publication Date: March 12, 2013
• ASIN: B00BWGD64S
• Genre: Westerns
When enemies are out to tear you down, rumors will do what man cannot do!
Just outside of Wichita was the home of the Zachary’s. Rachel, her 3 brothers, and their mom lived in a Soddy. It was built so well that you could hardly see it. It was also quite large as Soddies went, with a separate bedroom for Rachel and her mom. Most of the Zachary family's life had been on the move except for this place, they have been there for 5 years now. It is March of 1874, and Texas has its own government for the first time since the war. It has been hard living and fighting off the hostile tribes that had been riding the range and killing the settlers, stealing their stock, and kidnapping their womenfolk.
A few years back, their pa was killed on a trail drive when he was crossing a river. Since then it has been the boys that had kept them afloat. The history for Rachel, she knew that ma and pa were not her real folks. Her pa had found her alone on a wagon trail, taking her home and they have been loving her ever since. When an old enemy of their pa shows up and starts a rumor about Rachel, things go to pieces. The Indians show up and demand that they give up Rachel…
And now the story begins…
What did I like? When you stop and think about it, what happened to Rachel could have happened to anyone in those days. Families back then were right large, 10 to 15 kids, and I am sure it was hard to keep up with them. When a family had been wishing for a girl and one just appears in front of you, Well, doggone it, I am sure that they would love it with all their hearts. After 17 years, who, in their right mind would question that love or relationship? Life was tough, and family was the only thing that kept people going then. When the Indians were such a threat to the life of the homesteaders and cattle ranchers, having a large family assured that you would have enough help to go around for all the chores! I remember many years back visiting the ranches where my parents grew up. Mom’s was a Soddy, dug 18 feet into the ground with 3 rooms, one for her parents, one for the three girls, and the main area where her brother slept. The truly unusual thing about their place was that on one corner, an underground stream ran. The water was ice cold, that was their refrigerator. Just across the wash, up the side about halfway were some caves. There were pictures drawn on the walls. I do not know if they were ever dated but I am sure it was a long time ago.
What will you like? The incredible action, amazing storyline, intriguing characters, and filled with very emotional moments in Rachel’s life. The author’s descriptions give you the sense of being right there, hearing the wind blow, the horse's hooves, the bullets flying, and the fear of the fight. Feel the pain and hear the words of the family when the fight begins. Hear them again when it is all over, with such sadness. Here is another plight of the western family, fighting just to hang on!!!
• File Size: 1406 KB
• Print Length: 288 pages
• Publisher: AmazonEncore (March 12, 2013)
• Publication Date: March 12, 2013
• ASIN: B00BWGD64S
• Genre: Westerns
February 11, 2015
Alan LeMay, even if he had written nothing else, would be long remembered as a very fine writer of western novels because of his two best: The Searchers and The Unforgiven. The Searchers, of course, was made into a much loved John Wayne movie, and in 1960 The Unforgiven was made into a film starring Burt Lancaster and Audrey Hepburn. Both the book and film versions of The Unforgiven are somewhat overshadowed by those of The Searchers, but, in a way, their stories are almost mirror images of each other.
In The Searchers, a white child has been stolen by Indians and her family is determined to rescue the young woman from the “savages.” In The Unforgiven, a Kiowa child has been stolen by a white family, and when the Indians learn the origin of the young woman, they demand her return to the tribe. Both books focus heavily on the racial prejudice that was so commonly inflicted upon American Indians by the very people determined to steal their homelands from them. The resulting conflict was both brutal and bloody, with atrocities perpetrated by both sides. What makes LeMay’s writing special, is that he gives equal weight to both points-of-view.
The Zachary family has come to Texas for a new beginning and they are determined to hang onto their land and the way of life they have carved out for themselves. Now, however, because of the drowning of the family patriarch on a recent cattle drive, they must look to Ben, the eldest of three brothers and one sister, for the leadership their father used to provide. Ben proves himself to be a competent enough ranch manager, but when an old family nemesis shows up and begins spreading rumors about the Zachary daughter, things take an ugly turn.
Soon, the leaders of a group of Kiowa warriors that raids this part of the Texas territory with the coming of each full moon begins scouting the ranch in order to get a closer look at the girl they suspect might be a baby lost to the tribe years earlier. And if the Kiowa decide that the young woman belongs to them, the Zacharys know that they will fight to the death to bring her home to the tribe.
Most westerns written in the 1950s were closer to the pulp westerns of the late-1800s than to serious western fiction. Alan LeMay’s work is one exception to the rule. LeMay’s The Unforgiven can, in fact, be called a “literary novel,” and he spends as much time here developing his Kiowa characters as he does his main white characters. By looking at the conflict through two very different sets of eyes, what the author describes at the novel’s climax feels both inevitable and tragic. In the real world of post-Civil War Texas, it was unlikely to end any other way.
In The Searchers, a white child has been stolen by Indians and her family is determined to rescue the young woman from the “savages.” In The Unforgiven, a Kiowa child has been stolen by a white family, and when the Indians learn the origin of the young woman, they demand her return to the tribe. Both books focus heavily on the racial prejudice that was so commonly inflicted upon American Indians by the very people determined to steal their homelands from them. The resulting conflict was both brutal and bloody, with atrocities perpetrated by both sides. What makes LeMay’s writing special, is that he gives equal weight to both points-of-view.
The Zachary family has come to Texas for a new beginning and they are determined to hang onto their land and the way of life they have carved out for themselves. Now, however, because of the drowning of the family patriarch on a recent cattle drive, they must look to Ben, the eldest of three brothers and one sister, for the leadership their father used to provide. Ben proves himself to be a competent enough ranch manager, but when an old family nemesis shows up and begins spreading rumors about the Zachary daughter, things take an ugly turn.
Soon, the leaders of a group of Kiowa warriors that raids this part of the Texas territory with the coming of each full moon begins scouting the ranch in order to get a closer look at the girl they suspect might be a baby lost to the tribe years earlier. And if the Kiowa decide that the young woman belongs to them, the Zacharys know that they will fight to the death to bring her home to the tribe.
Most westerns written in the 1950s were closer to the pulp westerns of the late-1800s than to serious western fiction. Alan LeMay’s work is one exception to the rule. LeMay’s The Unforgiven can, in fact, be called a “literary novel,” and he spends as much time here developing his Kiowa characters as he does his main white characters. By looking at the conflict through two very different sets of eyes, what the author describes at the novel’s climax feels both inevitable and tragic. In the real world of post-Civil War Texas, it was unlikely to end any other way.
December 9, 2019
A very good and well written western novel. Alan LeMay showed that he can build character in a very realistic manner. For each character portrayed, I felt I knew them quite well. Many western writers have never developed the ability to make a character three dimensional, even the great Zane Grey couldn't match LeMay in this regard. Nice plot line.
January 2, 2017
This may appear to be a cowboy book but it is really a discussion of nature versus nurture: which factor has the greatest influence on our character: our biological ancestors, or the circumstances of our upbringing? The characters are complex and well-written, and the plot is interesting and intricate. I think it is fair in presenting how the US Government used the Army to violently invade Native American territory, encouraged economically disadvantaged whites to settle to expand the nation, and the resulting terrorism used by the Kiowas to try to retain the land. There are many instances of racist language used to illustrate the injustice committed against Native Americans, and some fairly graphic depictions of violent Kiowa terrorism; that may make it difficult for some to read. Most importantly, the author leaves it to the reader to figure out the condition of original sin, can a human be evil simply from the fact of being born, or do we become evil as a result of our thoughts, choices and actions?
February 27, 2014
I had never heard of this author before, but I recognized the title from the old 1960's movie staring Burt Lancaster.
The first part of the book read a bit like 'Little House on the Prairie' but for adults. Lot's of small incidents that lead up to the big showdown at the end.
The story is basically a tale of betrayal and prejudice against a frontier family who's adopted daughter is suspected of being stolen from the local Kiowa tribe. Neither the Kiowa's, nor their neighbors appreciate that. It's interesting that this is the opposite of LeMay's other famous book 'The Searchers', in which an Indian girl is suspected of being an abducted white girl. This was also made into a famous movie, this time staring staring John Wayne.
Took a bit of getting into, but got progressively more interesting from the half way point on. I enjoyed it enough to try and track down a copy of 'The Searchers'.
The first part of the book read a bit like 'Little House on the Prairie' but for adults. Lot's of small incidents that lead up to the big showdown at the end.
The story is basically a tale of betrayal and prejudice against a frontier family who's adopted daughter is suspected of being stolen from the local Kiowa tribe. Neither the Kiowa's, nor their neighbors appreciate that. It's interesting that this is the opposite of LeMay's other famous book 'The Searchers', in which an Indian girl is suspected of being an abducted white girl. This was also made into a famous movie, this time staring staring John Wayne.
Took a bit of getting into, but got progressively more interesting from the half way point on. I enjoyed it enough to try and track down a copy of 'The Searchers'.
March 18, 2019
This is a classic western novel focusing on the interactions of a Texas family dealing with prejudice against the area's native American population in the 1870's. Well developed characters and story. The novel was made into an A list western movie staring Bert Lancaster, Audrey Hepburn, and Lillian Gish. While the movie was excellent, it was definitely not as gritty as the novel, Novel definitely more realistic in dealing with the issues that were developed than the movie. One of the best Westerns ever written and a very worthy companion to LeMay's The Searchers.
July 19, 2020
A perfect western all about a family and the hardships of trying to survive in unforgiven land. There is squabbles with a neighbor, great family moments of triumph and defeat, and Indian attacks. Its mainly a family drama in the ol west right after the civil war but also turns into a siege story at the end.
Highly recommended, I want to see the Burt Lancaster film based on this now just a fantastic book. LeMay also wrote The Searchers which was turned into the classic John Wayne film, arguably his best film.
Highly recommended, I want to see the Burt Lancaster film based on this now just a fantastic book. LeMay also wrote The Searchers which was turned into the classic John Wayne film, arguably his best film.
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