Time of the Rabies [Paperback]

Robert Laxalt (Author)

Book Description

Series: The Basque Series | Publication Date: September 2000

During the 1920s, a rabies epidemic swept across northern Nevada, decimating wildlife and livestock herds. This historic event is the background for acclaimed writer Robert Laxalt's brilliant new novella. Set on a sheep ranch in the desert foothills near Carson City, Time of the Rabies follows owner Pete Lorda and his family and ranch hands as the epidemic swirls around them, pulling humans and animals into an epic battle against an invisible but deadly foe.

Beginning when a roving coyote is bitten by a rabid bat, the epidemic spreads like wildfire through the local coyote population, and soon whole bands of rabid, maddened coyotes are attacking Lorda's sheep flocks. As he and his hands struggle to protect the sheep, the disease appears on the home ranch itself, infecting first valued animals and then some of the hands. Once again, Robert Laxalt has produced a lively, unforgettable story of the West and its hardy people. No other writer has captured so vividly the character of the Basque sheepmen and their harsh, solitary lives, or the precarious community of a ranch besieged by an insidious, lethal enemy. Laxalt's genius seems to grow with each new work, and Time of the Rabies is the creation of a major writer at the peak of his powers. This is a tale of the true West, full of authentic heroes and the memorable sense of place that only a writer as skilled and experienced as Laxalt can create.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Nevada ranchers and cowboys fight a 1920s rabies epidemic in this straightforward, warmly written western novella by historical novelist Laxalt (Dust Devils; Private War). Toward sundown on a spring day, a coyote viciously attacks one of sheep rancher Pete Lorda's ewes, in plain sight of a pair of Basque herders. Dumbfounded, the herders kill the coyote and bring its body and their tale back to the ranch. An examination by a veterinarian proves what Lorda already suspects: the coyote had rabies. Soon after the coyote attack, another of Lorda's ranch hands is chased by a rabid mountain lion, and it becomes clear that a full-blown epidemic is threatening the surrounding countryside. The job of battling roaming bands of deranged, flesh-hungry rabid coyotes falls to Tex and Slim, Lorda's veteran, shotgun-armed cowboys. Already difficult, their task is complicated by the actions of Michel, a stubborn young Basque herder in training and the love interest of Lorda's daughter. When Michel's collie is infected, the boy persists in believing he can nurse it back to health, endangering himself and everyone else on the ranch. A dramatic final rescue scene caps the cowboys' battle against the spread of the deadly disease. In this latest installment in his Basque series, Laxalt once again describes the lives of Basque immigrants in the western U.S., painting a convincing picture of ranch life. Though perhaps more suited to young adult audiences, the simple tale ably dramatizes a historic plague threatening man and beast alike. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Robert Laxalt's novella, Dust Devils, was selected as one of the Best Books for Young Adults for 1999 by the Young Adult Library Services Association division of the American Library Association. The book was also selected by the New York Public Library for the 1998 Books for the Teen Age. A Time of the Rabies is Laxalt's sixteenth book.

Product Details

• Paperback: 104 pages
• Publisher: University of Nevada Press (September 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0874173507
• ISBN-13: 978-0874173505
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,814,404 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Time of the Rabies, July 19, 2001

By 

Nancy C. Thornburg (Markleeville, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Time of the Rabies (Paperback)

We are great fans of Robert Laxalt's writing but this is definitely not one of his best. His description of rabies and its effects on animals and people is good and, we think, probably accurate, and the description of the area and of the Basque sheepherding culture at that time and in that area are excellent. But the details of the plot contain too many improbabilities and it's too bad because Laxalt could do better. Nevertheless, the book is worth reading.