Seven Ox Seven: A Story of Some Ways in the West: Escondido Bound

by P.A. Ritzer

Book Overview

Seven souls risk everything to seek a home on the West Texas frontier. Cowboys Luke Stuart and Tom Schurtz meet at the end of trail drives in Dodge City, Kansas, in 1877. Back in Texas, Luke and his... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1933363010
• ISBN13: 9781933363011
• Release Date: January 2007
• Publisher: Seven Ox Pr
• Length: 672 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 1.8" x 6.5"

Customer Reviews

Erudite Classic

This well-researched, erudite historical novel is destined to become a classic. In a writing style more reminiscent of Charles Dickens than of Louis L'Amour, P. A. Ritzer presents an authentic Western that pulls the reader into the setting with rich historical and topographical description. The reader must do his work in the beginning, but it is well worth the effort as the tempo builds to a climax that leaves one eagerly awaiting part two.

One of those books I couldn't put down!

This is a story of a small party of pioneers, including a young family, who set out seeking a valley (Escondido) known only as legend, to establish a ranch. This is a story of extremes, from the happiness of fulfillment from faith and hard work, to the dangers inherent in the wilderness beyond the frontier and some of the more evil men who reside there. This is a story of the kind of people who settled and built this great country of ours. If you like historical novels, you will really like this book. Some of them can be pretty hard going, but in this case I couldn't put the book down until I finished it--no thinking I'll force myself to read to at least page fifty. The only problem is, this saga is going to continue with another book, so now I have to wait for the next book to continue the story. I have read all of James Michener's books, and plenty of others by the likes of Edward Rutherfurd, and we just may have another up and coming Michener here in author Peter Ritzer.

A Texas tale

P A Ritzer spins a Texas tale that was both informative and entertaining. If you are interested in the historical settling of the Texas plains or just want a great cowboy story this book will hit the spot. I have to admit that the first few chapters were a little slow, as the author introduces the characters and sets the scene. But this hard work will reward the reader during the last chapters. This book introduces the characters during a series of fortuitous meetings in Dodge City complete with the political and cultural flavor of the day. Dreams are dreamt and a plan or fulfilled to take 2 families to the pinnacle of happiness and then to the bottom of despair. The last 200 pages are so intense that you will not want to eat, sleep or work till you are finished. Can't wait till part 2 is out...

Authentic, compelling tale of America's last true Pioneers

This is not just another historical fiction book. It is an authentic and compelling look at the men and women who represented the best of Texas, and America, in facing life's great challenges with more faith, determination, and bravery then most modern Americans can imagine. Ritzer spins a tale rooted in the True Texas few understand. His outsider, Roman Catholic, traditional Republican take on Texas history adds a new dimension I've wanted to read but have not found in other novels. Once you become friends with the novel's characters, you'll want to cheer for them, pray for them, hug them, help them, and know them as neighbors.

A dramatic epic unfolds, richly flavored and brought to life with keen historical accuracy.

The product of four years of traveling and research through Kansas, Colorado, and Texas by author P.A. Ritzer, Seven Ox Seven Part One: Escondido Bound is the first volume of a western trilogy. Opening at the meeting of two cowboys, Luke Stuart and Tom Schurtz, during the height of the 1877 cattle-trade season, Seven Ox Seven draws the reader into a partnership between the cowboys and Luke's devout wife Elizabeth, with the goal of establishing a ranch at the edge of the Staked Plains, the Llano Estacado, recently (if not completely) vacated by the Comanche. Their determination will be tested in challenge after challenge, and their goal is shrouded by a host of mysterious happenings. A dramatic epic unfolds, richly flavored and brought to life with keen historical accuracy.