Customer Reviews

A Pilgrim Shadow

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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!

"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.

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.

I will admit right up front that I am not a fan of Western Novels... But this book flew in the face of the stereotypes this son of the North East had about the old West. From the first two pages I was sucked into the story and could not put the book down. The author not only recreates Texas and Oklahoma of the late 19th century, but makes you feel as if you have travelled back to the era and are a fly on the wall as the yarn unfolds. In my mind's eye I started seeing the Marlows taking on the corrupt Marshall and imagining what actors could give them their due in their portrayals. If you are fan of Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove you should give this book a chance.

A lot of novelists write histories, but few historians write novels. This is one of the shining exceptions. This is not a horse opera or Disney-esque view of the Old West. No white hats or pearl-handled six-guns.

Colonel Huffines takes a well researched bit of history and adds enough imagination to make it readable rather than simply another dry history book. The story is real, gritty and sometimes a bit cruel. Not, I believe, unlike life in that time and place. It is a good view into justice at the time and how easily it could be influenced.

The question is, were the Marlow brothers outlaws? This is a fast moving western packed with action. "Sons of Katy Elder," John Wayne's movie was good and so is this story. It did not really answer the question for me. I am sure the Wallaces and the Marlows tell very different stories. By Ruth Thompson author of "The Bluegrass Dream" and "Natchez Above The River"

Charley Marlow was my great great grandpa! This book accurately follows the record that I have heard and read. Alan Huffines has brought the characters of my family's past into focus. What a great read! Factual. Mr. Huffines brings 1880s Texas out of the past and into clear view. I really enjoyed this read!

I am a Wallace. Sheriff Wallace was my great great grandpa.

Our family has a different version of this story. That being said, this is a well written book. I enjoyed it a lot.

This story was already made into a movie by Hollywood.

"the Sons of Katie Elder" was based on this incident, but altered and given the "Hollywood treatment". This book is far far closer to the reality.

There are always 3 sides to every story, who knows where the truth really lies. I'm just glad that no matter who's story you believe, Sheriff Wallace is agreed to have been a good guy. But, I can tell you, the Wallace family firmly believes the Marlowes were outlaws