So Brave, Young, and Handsome

Due to this increasing free time and a generous Border's gift card, I've gained more time for reading, which is clearly reflected in the frequency of my posts recently! (It should be noted that my newfound obsession for the TV shows Doctor Who and Merlin has been fostered by this time, as well!). Last Friday, straight from school, my friend and I went to Borders so I could spend a giftcard I had. I bought 3 books: So Brave, Young, and Handsome, Sandition and Other Stories (the unfinished and early works of Jane Austen), and The Goose Girl, a favorite of mine since 4th grade, my original copy of which I lost and gave up trying to find it. The bibliophile within me sighs contentedly when I walk into Borders; I could spend hours browsing, finding new books and seeing what others are reading. The atmosphere is so quiet, and being surrounded by so many possibilities... well, it's like being in a time machine with every galaxy spread out before you, waiting for you to choose which one you want to go to (Wow, I really have been watching Doctor Who too much!).

Before I embarked on my Borders Adventure, I went to my 9th grade English teacher for book recommendations. She gave me two, one called Peace Like a River, and the other about climbing Mount Everest. Upon finding Peace Like a River, I realized the title sounded familiar and wondered if we owned the book, so I called my dad to ask. He informed me that he had just bought the book for my Christmas present, on recommendation from a good friend of mine! I was still interested in the author, so I bought another book of his: So Brave, Young, and Handsome.

Reminiscent of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman (another TV show obsession of mine), So Brave, Young, and Handsome is a bit of an old Western novel. It follows a writer, Beckett, who cannot seem to follow up his best selling debut (which seems a little autobiographical of Leif Enger, the author, seeing as Peace Like a River was so successful) and Glendon, an older ex-train robber who sets out on a journey to apologize to Blue, his wife who he left years before. Glendon brings Beckett with him from Minnesota to California, through floods and sharpshooters and all the while, chased by Charles Siringo, a former Pinkerton agent who has been looking for Glendon for over 20 years. Along the way, they meet a brilliant cast of characters and take some unexpected twists.

The plot of this book is rather wandering, mimicking the journey of Glendon and Beckett, sometimes together, sometimes apart. It's not a typical old Western: indeed, it actually pokes fun at the typical western style. All the ingredients for a Western novel are here: an outlaw, a romance, a dangerous pursuer, and more. The combination of them, however, results in an original and beautiful tale of love, redemption, perseverance, and quiet beauty. Perhaps the best part of the novel are the characters: my personal favorites are Hood Roberts, a teenage boy dying for adventure, and Charles Siringo. These two characters are endearing and surprising, although entirely different. Hood feels like any other teenage boy, one who desperately wants the glamorous life of an outlaw. He's just a boy, and it shows in his actions, both endearingly naive and frustratingly foolish. His own story unfolds as a sub-plot, and the reader is kept away from the action until the very end. But his story is heart-wrenchingly sad and pitiful. You fall in love with Hood Roberts from the moment he begins to speak.

Charles Siringo, a hard-as-nails, shrewd Pinkerton agent, chases Beckett and Glendon across the country. Beckett, by some odd twist, ends up traveling with Siringo for part of the novel. During this time, Enger brilliantly pulls the reader between hatred and respect for Siringo as he reveals more about Siringo's life and personality. Although you learn Siringo's weaknesses, the fear he inspires never fades, which is a truly difficult feat to accomplish. Even with his weaknesses, Siringo is a formidable foe, but entirely and utterly believable. He never ceases to surprise or have a trick up his sleeve, as is true of the end of the novel.

Speaking of which, the end of the novel was perfect. It was realistic, true to the style of the entire book, and satisfying enough. After arriving in California and talking to Blue, both Glendon and Beckett find a peace and purpose in their lives which didn't exist before. *SPOILERS* Although the reader wishes Glendon and Blue would instantly fall back in love and remarry, their relationship instead deepens on a different level. And though the reader wants Glendon and Blue and Beckett and their families to stay together, happy on the orchard, forever, Glendon's choice to turn himself in fits his new attitude and reformed ideas. Although it isn't the happy ending we wanted for Blue and Glendon, it's realistic and has some sense of closure.

Honestly, this book is filled to the brim with quietly beautiful quotes I wanted to underline and write down and post somewhere to remember. I think that's the best way to describe the entire book, actually: quietly beautiful. It's a peaceful story, it's calming, it's the sort of book to read on a porch and reflect on your life. If you're looking for a summer read, this is a great one if you don't mind "thinking books." This book is deeper than shallow chick-lit, with it's questions about guilt, perseverance, and forgiveness.