Bitter Trail

by Elmer Kelton

Book Overview

In Bitter Trail, Kelton tells the story of a tough teamster named Frio Wheeler whose wagons haul cotton from Texas into Mexico. Sound like a peaceable enterprise? The problem is that the Civil War is... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0812551184
• Release Date: June 1997
• Publisher: Forge Books
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.7" x 0.6" x 4.3"

Customer Reviews

What Life Can Do To A Man

Bitter Trail is not your typical western, but the lead character is. Frio Wheeler--no relation that I know of, except I've been told there were some Wheelers who went to Texas early on--but Frio is one of those strong individuals who after his freight wagons were attacked, his load of cotton burnt, his mules driven off, gets more wagons, more mules, and more cotton to haul. Even when he is captured and tortured in attempt to force him to quit hauling cotton he manages to escape and keeps his wagons moving. This is a story of how the Civil War affected people in Texas; it was a severely divided state. Elmer Kelton always does an excellent job incorporating history into his books. An exceptional read I think anyone would enjoy.

Another great Kelton

Elmer Kelton could not write a bad book, and The Bitter Trail is no exception. Fine, fine writing. My only criticism is the fact that he uses a lot of full sentences of SPanish without translating them. For those who don't read Spanish, it would be tough! As the first reviewer said, he is a good replacement for L'Amour, only better. Another great read is ANYTHING by Kirby Jonas, whom critics call the New Louis L'AMour. If you haven't had the pleasure of reading his stuff, pick some up. He's another L'Amour/Kelton, and a surefire winner. Kelton and Jonas ought to make a great combination together, Kelton writing about Texas and Jonas writing about everywhere else!

Kelton's Popularity Demands Reprints of Old Stories

"Bitter Trail" is well researched in true Kelton fashion. Historical fiction at its best. Kelton's day job as writer for the Cattleman's Weekly sustained him long enough to become the best Western Author of this decade. A true replacement for the void left with Louis L'Amour's death. The storyline is a page out of history, but Bitter Trail contains believeable characters and TEXAS PRIDE.