The Dansing Star

by Kirby Jonas

Book Overview

Morton Dansing, deputy sheriff in Tucson, Arizona, is torn between two worlds. Until nine years old, he was raised James Morton, a white boy in Missouri. Then he was taken captive by Indians as his... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1891423002
• ISBN13: 9781891423000
• Release Date: December 1997
• Publisher: Howling Wolf Publishing
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.4" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

The dansing Star is a Winner!

Just read Kirby Jonas's The Dansing Star and I flat out loved this book. Dansing Star is about a fellow who was raised by Indians, but goes "white" again. As such, he is not quite accepted by either the Indians or the whites. Dansing, the main character, goes off on the trail of some bank robbers and eventually is on the trail of a man who killed the woman he loved. He gets into all manner of trouble, and the group of criminal brothers he gets stuck with...well, they are something else! All the characters are well drawn, the conversations sharp, clean, always interesting. The story moves along very fast...the book is a real page-turner. There is a good deal of history in this book too, all of it well told, fascinating. More than any western I remember reading, Dansing Star gives an honest point of view from the Indians side of things. This was the first one of Kirby Jonas's books that I've read, and it was great fun to find a new western writer whose work I enjoyed so much. I passed the book on to my brother, who loves westerns, and he was keen on it, too. Jonas is a darn fine writer, the book is just flat out terrific and I expect anyone who enjoys a good action story will appreciate it. I highly recommend The Dansing Star.

The Virginian rides again

I stumbled across "The Dansing Star" because of a review written by James Drury. He was my favorite TV star during the 1960s. He always hit his target as the Virginian and his aim is still good. Kirby Jonas has written a very good book that has peaked my interest in his other books. A small note to James Drury; I watched the latest movie remake of "The Virginian" just to see your small role. It would have been a much better movie if you had played the title role!

A beautiful book

If you haven't read Kirby Jonas, be prepared for a lot of enjoyment, and probably for years to come. For nine years I portrayed THE VIRGINIAN on television, and I had a lot of chances to read the writing of many different people. After nine years, I can honestly say that Kirby Jonas is probably my favorite writer.I have just finished reading three of Kirby's books on tape for one of the major Book on Tape companies, including the Dansing Star. I have become emotionally involved in all of his books, and I sure I always will. You readers have a tremendous opportunity to raise your mind to a higher level and bring yourself to the edge of your seat. Don't miss out. Kirby Jonas is better than Louis L'Amour, I must say, and he is going to go a long way toward bringing the Western Novel back to the forefront of literature today.Since The Dansing Star, Kirby has gone on to write three more tremendous novels, Death of an Eagle, Legend of the Tumbleweed, and Lady Winchester. The last one is not even in print yet, but Kirby gave me the privilege of reading the manuscript, and you are in for a treat. It has as its central character a woman, and a very strong one, but also a very feminine one. I guarantee another hit. Keep watching Kirby Jonas. He is going to leave Louis L'Amour in his dust.

Do you have a SIX STAR RATING?

I was horrified to see that someone had given this book a four star rating! How could someone possibly have the read the book and then do that, if they were paying attention at all? What were they doing, reading it while they were watching some Clint Eastwood movie or something? This book was, up until Jonas's next book, the best western I ever read. Now I'm not sure which one is best. But I will say that they don't come much better than this. Kirby Jonas is beyond any doubt the best Western writer alive or dead. I hope more and more people see his stuff! In the Dansing Star, we are drawn into Mort Dansing's life. We live with him as he tracks outlaws in the murderously hot desert. We feel for him as he takes the hatred from both Apaches, who he was raised by, and white men. We also wander with him through his Apache encampment, and we feel his grief and hatred while he views the smoking bodies of his Apache family. Then Dansing is surrounded in a house in the desert by a band of Apaches who are led by the giant Horse Hate. He has one friend with him, a woman, and four brothers whom he knows he will have to fight before he leaves there. But he could never guess the secret they hide. What a tremendous book. Oh, and to top it all off, also in the house is lying wounded the killer of his best friend, whom he ends up having to protect from the brothers. Dansing just can't seem to get out of trouble, but he does so beautifully, in the end. There is no foul language here, no graffic violence, and no sex, but lots of romance. That's the way a western should be. Louis L'Amour showed us all that, and since critics are calling Kirby Jonas the New Louis L'Amour it's only fitting that his books would read like a L'Amour, only FAR DEEPER. What a tremendous coup! Someone needs to knock that horrible four star rating off the map!