A Pilgrim Shadow [Paperback]

Alan C. Huffines (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2001

"...a strikingly authentic novel, not just in the way it flawlessly conjures up the vanished world of nineteenth century Texas, but in its guileless disregard of genre cliches or literary posturing. Huffines is a confident and compelling writer, and his story of the ordeal of the Marlow Brothers is full of unexpected turns, dead-on details and powerful feeling." – Stephen Harrigan, author of the award-winning bestseller, Gates of the Alamo

"A shattering read...you won't be able to put it down...it is that riveting." — Frederick J. Chiaventone, author of the award-winning A Road We Do Not Know

"In the tradition of The Ox-Bow Incident, Huffines has delivered a powerful tale of frontier retribution that doubles as a thoughtful inquiry into the nature of justice. This is passionate and memorable storytelling at its best." — Scott Zesch, author of Alamo Heights

Alan Huffines has created a new Western classic. Beginning with Indian Territory's Marlow brothers and their real-life struggle for justice on the Texas frontier, Huffines combines a storyteller's ability to make readers, sweat, lose sleep, and pace the floor. An unforgettable tale.

Huffines is author of Blood of Noble Men: The Alamo Siege and Battle. A seventh-generation Texan, Persian Gulf War veteran, and active duty combat arms officer, he and his wife, Carolyn, and three daughters make their home in Central Texas.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Eakin Pr; 1st edition (August 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1571685294
• ISBN-13: 978-1571685292
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,410,237 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Alan C. Huffines is a retired military officer and combat veteran of two conflicts. He is the author of "Blood of Noble Men: The Alamo Siege and Battle, an Illustrated Chronology", "A Pilgrim Shadow", "The Texas War of Independence", and "Killed by Indians 1871." He serves as military editor for True West and as a columnist for Working Ranch magazines. He has provided historical work on numerous feature films and documentaries. He was a featured author at the 1999 and 2001 Texas Book Festival and has appeared on CSPAN's "Book TV."
He is an eighth generation Texan and married to the former Caroline Cotham of North Carolina; they have four children and make their home in Buffalo Gap, Texas.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Based on a true story from 1880s Texas!, July 9, 2002

By 

Russell McGee - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Pilgrim Shadow (Paperback)

Jailed for a crime they did not commit. Fought off a lynch mob from inside the jail. Ambushed while being transported to a safe location, the shackled Marlow brothers amazingingly defeat their assailants! And it all REALLY HAPPENED in Graham, Texas in the 1880s.

A Pilgrim Shadow is the historical version of the incredible story that was the basis for the John Wayne movie: The Sons of Katy Elder. Definately in the "truth is stranger than fiction" category, this tale of the Marlow brothers eclipses the movie version. The author brings the Marlow family to life in a fast-moving, ruddy, authentic form complete with simple language and forgotten images of actual events. As true as possible to the historical record found in the Young County Archives, this novel tells a story that needs to be told. When immersed in the text, the words leap off the page and conjure sounds, accents, and images of 1880s Texas as the reader is transported to the creaky sherriff's office, cold jail cell, smokey bar room, and lonely farmhouse with the Marlow's and the real people they encounter.

I was especially moved by the simple, honest nature of the Marlow family, trusting the local law officers to keep them safe in jail while their mother worked on getting thier names cleared. Meanwhile some of them were plotting against these migrant farmers as scapegoats to appease a rougher, more complex crowd of lawyers and cattle barons. It is a stunning contrast.

Another noteworthy detail is that the white Marlow brothers worked for an Indian rancher for a while. Strange, but true. One of many paradigm-breakers in this fine book.

A MUST READ for Old West enthusiasts who want to read about the TRUE west- not some glamorized dime-novel. Written in a style that rivals McMurtry, this is the West as it really was- showcased in a true story that makes the book a real midnight-oil page-turner!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Old West, no BS, February 10, 2002

By 

Gary S. Zaboly (New York City, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Pilgrim Shadow (Paperback)

"A Pilgrim Shadow" is a tale told with an economy of words that conveys more character and story development in single brushstrokes than many authors achieve in entire chapters. Like A. B. Guthrie, Jr. in such novels as "The Big Sky" and "The Way West," Alan Huffines tells his story of the persecuted Marlow brothers in the jargon of the time---even in his narration of the events. This gives the book its salty edge. It is a remarkable first novel, and one that merits a wide readership.
The author's treatment of violence is free of the gratuitous, sensational gore that passes so frequently for art these days. He gets to the point, and moves on, without wallowing in pools of blood like so many authors. Indeed, less is more; and "A Pilgrim Shadow," by its very sharp-as-nails brevity and force, will linger in the mind longer than so many novels six to eight times its size.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Better than Lonesome Dove, November 1, 2001

By 

Michael G. Kalinsky (Telford, Pa United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Pilgrim Shadow (Paperback)

I will admit right up front that I am not usually a fan of the Western Novella. However, this book flew in the face of this Yankee's stereotypes of the genre. I was unable from the first time I picked the book up to put it down. The author makes you feel like a fly on the wall in the back rooms of the saloons in dusty Graham, TX. I found myself hanging on every page to see if the Marlow clan prevailed against the evil cattle barons and their lackey Marshall. I kept imagining what actors could pull off portraying the different people that populate the book and not ruin how much I enjoyed this book. This books deserves a wide audience, it is entertaining and informative.