Zeke and Ned

by Diana Ossana and Larry McMurtry

Book Overview

"Zeke and Ned" is the story of Ezekiel Proctor and Ned Christie, the last Cherokee warriors -- two proud, passionate men whose remarkable quest to carve a future out of Indian Territory east of the Arkansas River after the Civil War is not only history but legend. Played out against an American West governed by a brutal brand of frontier justice, this intensely moving saga brims with a rich cast of indomitable and utterly unforgettable characters...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0684811529
• ISBN13: 9780684811529
• Release Date: January 1997
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 478 Pages
• Weight: 1.73 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.4" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

A Beautifully Crafted Web of History and Fiction

I hate reading because nothing really interests me, but this book was about 500 pages and I read it in 6 days. When you first see the book and read a description, you think it's going to be a normal, boring historical fiction novel about Indians. I started the book with that assumption, but my mindset was changed immediately after I finished the first page. The book incorporates a few historical facts (i.e. the Trail of Tears) and an interesting set of characters (Traditional Cherokee Indians, Christian Cherokee Indians, Brutal and friendly whites Americans, bootleggers, Cherokee politicians and many more). It has many different conflicts, including conflicts between whites and Indians NOT ON THE BATTLE FIELD (as normally portrayed), but in legal issues and moral differences. There are also comparisons between different types of marraiges and family orientations between Indian families. Although the book isn't totally historically accurate, it doesn't matter because it is Larry McMurtry's own developed characters put into the bodies and lives of a handful of Cherokee Indians and their white rivals. The plot never stops. Every page is full of interesting details about the lives of these 1850's characters, and there are so many conflicts going on that you're kept interested through the whole book. There are just enough conflicts that you don't focus on one too much and get bored with it, and that there aren't too many that you get confused. Just the right pinch of clashes to keep you involved and wondering what happens next. Each different sub-plot has to do witha different aspect of western life, whether it be marraige, legal issues, bootlegging, family development, sicknesses and diseases, safety, and government. At least one sub-plot will make you want to read through the whole book! I can't stop expressing how amazing this book was and how great of a writer Larry McMurtry is. I recommend strongly that you go out and read this book because it will keep you interested and you will enjoy it!

I preferred Gus McCray

If I were a professor of American literature, heaven forbid, this would be primary required reading. The lesson would center around the perfection of literary structure. Broken into thirds this novel exploits the classic themes of comedy, melodrama, and tragedy. The switch to first person narrative in the third portion is poetic brilliance. Yet, this story isn't for everybody. For example, I have never been a great Twain fan and this book seems to parallel those sweeping works. As an ex-professional athlete in an ambiguous sport I personally found "Lonesome Dove" the quintessential great American novel. I found the seemingly intellectual musings of Augustus McCray to be the answers of life. Oh, if only I could be 'Like Gus'. However, between the two, "Ned and Zeke" may have greater public appeal. If you aren't laughing out loud during the courthouse gun flight, you should consider renting a personality. If by the end of the first part, you haven't been absorbed by these historically correct characters, few books are for you. This book is definitely for you if you are interested in a western yarn that has pretensions of being the great American novel.

Another McMurtry/Ossana Success

What an incredible tale of human suffering, compassion, forgiveness, begrudgement, and triumph--depending on your perspective of course. Ned Christie is the classic tragic hero. His greatest flaw is intertwined with his greatest strength (vengence/tenacity). Yes, there is saddness in the bleak lives that Ned and Jewel have been thrust into, but there is a romantic inspiration in their steadfastness also. These characters are real, gripping, amiable. I particulary enjoyed the switch to the first person voice in the last part of the book. Zeke and Ned is an adventure you don't want to miss.

great reading, told in the style Mark Twain

What a tale! I'm a Cherokee with a strong heritage, heard about Ned Christie while growing up. I read the review by one of the other Cherokees, and was surprised to see how disappointed they were in this story. How refreshing to see a book with flesh-and-blood characters--I'm sick of books that portray us as "noble savages". We are a people with yearnings, sorrows, flaws and loyalties, strong ones. We wanted, more than anything in the nineteenth century, to be left alone to lead our lives, to extend our heritage. ZEKE AND NED is told in the style of a tall tale, Mark Twainish, if you will, and what a story!!! A historical novel, key word here being "novel". McMurtry and Ossana have taken a critical piece of history and brought it to life. My grandfather read it, loved it, laughed out loud, and cried at the end. I'm sure the clever, engaging dialogue is from the writers' imaginations and not from any historical treatises, because such treatises don't exist. Most of the general facts are true, such as the courtroom shootout, Judge Parker's penchant for hanging, the questionable morals of the U.S. Marshals, the fiery determination of Ned Christie to just be left alone, the strength of our women and their loyalty to their men and their heritage. Hope you'll take a chance on this book. You won't be sorry you did.

Great novel regarding the post-civil war Cherokee Nation.

This book tells a compelling and interesting story about life in the post-civil war Cherokee Nation. Most of the historical context of the book is quite accurate. The characters are excellent: Zeke the hillbilly-ish patriarch and Ned the tribal senator turned warrior. Zeke and Ned is a great book for those who are not offended by the brutality of life in the 19th century Oklahoma Ozark mountains