Three Forks: A Novel of Texas [Hardcover]

Tom Marlin (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 344 pages
• Publisher: 1st Book Library (June 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0759643679
• ISBN-13: 978-0759643673
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,141,702 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Review of Three Forks, August 15, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Three Forks: A Novel of Texas (Hardcover)

For his first novel, Tom Marlin has captured my interest. The story line is skillfully interwoven with glimpses into the history and culture of the DFW Texas area in the middle 19th century. Many real names and places are used in the story which make it seem almost like a documentary of the struggle for territory between the native Americans and the settlers. Two main characters emerge; Jake Chalk, a young rancher who finds himself involved in efforts to protect the settlers from Indian attacks and to capture the other main character, Black Wolf, a young Caddo chief who seems to be bent on continuing the hostilities. The more the story unfolded, the more I was drawn into it trying to anticipate what would be coming next. Would Melody and Jake eventually marry? Would Black Wolf recover his sacred obsidian knife? The ending was exciting and surprising enough to rate a five star for me. There are still some unanswered questions which may be sufficient material for a sequel which I hope is coming soon.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Events leading to the settlement of North Texas & Dallas, July 12, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Three Forks: A Novel of Texas (Hardcover)

The novel follows the trails of Jake Chalk, a young settler conscripted into the Texas Militia in 1838, and his bitter enemy, Black Wolf, a Caddo war chief. Both are driven by revenge and their inevitable confrontation becomes a mutual obsession.

Jake meets and fights beside many men for whom several of today's North Texas counties, cities and universities are named. While coming of age, Jake grows to be a fierce Militia fighter, courts a beautiful young woman, helps build a frontier fort and is instrumental in settling a new city named Dallas.

More than a western novel and written in the entertaining, historical docudrama style of John Jakes and James Michener, Three Forks: a Novel of Texas tells the exciting story of the events preceding the settlement of North Texas, and the founding of Dallas in 1842. The novel takes the reader back in time to walk among and meet the famous historical figures who helped build Texas in the 1830s and 1840s.

Researched in many cases to the original document level, the novel not only details the history of an area once called "Three Forks," but also provides perspective on the fascinating historic events that occurred throughout the Republic of Texas, and led to its subsequent acceptance as a US state.

Three Forks, named for the confluence of the three main forks of the Trinity River, was a huge block of land in North Texas that today is larger than thirty-six individual US states in population, and nine states in geographical area. It is the home of the world's largest airport, and includes major US cities such as Dallas, Fort Worth and their rapidly growing surrounding cities.

Despite the significance of this area, its fascinating history, spanning 1836 to 1846, is frequently overlooked. This period follows the fall of the Alamo and the Texans' victory at San Jacinto, which leads to freedom from Mexico. As a result, The Republic of Texas is formed - an entire country separate from the United States. The period ends as Texas achieves US statehood, and the US goes to war with Mexico.

Even more overlooked in this period are the conflicts between the Texas Militia in Northeast Texas and many Native American tribes. Brutal attacks by both sides result in many deaths. Terror reigns throughout North Texas settlements and Native American villages. The dispute is over Three Forks, with its beautiful forests, rolling green hills and grassy plains. Tom Marlin's experience and renown as an artist presents itself in his writing. Through well-crafted prose and dialogues from many cultures, he paints word landscapes and panoramas similar to those found in the works of Zane Gray. Despite the serious drama of military battles and human conflict, romance and humor permeate a revealing story that will both entertain and inform the reader. The novel also contains nine fully illustrated maps.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very, Very Good, August 9, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Three Forks: A Novel of Texas (Hardcover)

Initially, I thought this was a story about times preceding the settlement of Dallas but I found it to also be a saga of westward expansion in the US (the culmination of which was the destruction of Native American cultures during the 19th century).

I was delighted to read not only a good solid story, but see the characters evolve with real emotion and motivations. A fairly difficult task for accomplished writers, the author ups the ante with a historically based setting. What I liked is that these aren't the cardboard characters you find in so many well conceived but poorly executed pieces of historical fiction, where characters only exist to fulfill their 'historical significance' and are discarded to the annals of history.

Stories that take the time to weave a good tale are one thing but when the author follows it up with what appears to be very detailed research to base the story upon past events in real locations (in addition to showing the effects of the real issues of day to day life in the time period) you know you've got something special. This book is going to be one tough act to follow, but I trust the author welcomes and rises to the challenge.

I suspect I'll be let down by the fact that the author is incapable of crafting his tales as quickly as I can read them. If you're reading this Mr. Marlin: START ON ANOTHER BOOK NOW.