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Graves In the Wilderness - Jock Gordon
Graves In The Wilderness
J.R. Gordon
ISBN: 1921030437
Sid Harta Publishers
Reviewed By Camille Parker
Official Apex Reviews Rating:
Texas, 1850's: Diego, born N'kawa to a family of Karankawa natives, is facing near death. His entire clan, ambushed by a merciless mob of Comanche aggressors, has been heartlessly exterminated, and, as the sole remaining survivor, he is suddenly face-to-face with the bloodthirsty wrath of his pursuers...
Out of nowhere, a group of ranchers led by Mac Campbell happen upon the scene of the slaughter, fortuitously dispatching of the Comanche warriors, the last one of which is slain by the young upstart, Piper, Mac's son. Diego initially refuses assistance from the ranchers in burying his family and comrades, but he soon makes his way to the family ranch in Argyll, ultimately being adopted by the Campbells and becoming the honorary half-brother of Piper himself.
The bond between the two young men strengthens considerably, keeping each one sane throughout the coming trials and tribulations: the ravages of the Civil War, the torrid instability that follows, and the eventual deaths of every other member of the Campbell clan. Before long, Piper and Diego resolve to escape the confines of their sorrows and venture out into the world, visiting lands they've never seen and embarking on adventures long dreamed.
Settling in a still-developing Australia, the brothers soon find themselves in the midst of yet another tumultuous time, but even with their combined wisdom and experience, neither is prepared for the tragedy and heartbreak soon to come
Graves In The Wilderness is a touching tale of loyalty and triumph over adversity. An enthralling read, Gordon does a superb job of compacting a very action-packed, fast-paced read within the greater framework of a engaging, sentimental narrative. Furthermore, his knowledge of historical events and indigenous culture are more than impressive.
Graves's most salient attribute: the strength and resiliency of the human spirit. Despite their losses of family and possessions, Piper and Diego never succumb to bitterness or hate, but instead remained committed to continuing to help the less fortunate, even at the cost of their own lives. Such gallantry is a rare find in any day and age, so Gordon's depictions of it in the embodiments of the Campbell brothers is both welcoming and refreshing.
Graves In The Wilderness is a highly recommended read for fans of good old-fashioned historical dramas - and, if you're not already a fan, this book will surely make you a new convert.
Official Apex Reviews Interview: J.R. Gordon (Graves In The Wilderness)
Apex Reviews: Thanks for joining us for this interview, J.R. We truly appreciate it, and we're looking forward to learning more about Graves In The Wilderness.
There's so much historical content in the novel. How much research actually went into putting the book together?
J.R. Gordon: The book evolved over many years in the research department. It was quite fascinating delving into what went on way back 'then' in the mid to late 1800's. Safe to say that I spent countless hours in archives, libraries, books and of course the Internet to get what I needed to move the book ahead.
AR: You mention in the 'Author's Note' that some of the story is fictionalized. What parts of the book are historically accurate?
JG: All timelines, places, events and most of the people mentioned in the book actually existed or happened. My key characters are inventions traveling through that timeline. The events of the day are seen through their eyes.
AR: The descriptions of the various cities/landscapes that the Campbell brothers visit are very vivid, and we learned from your bio that you've been quite the traveling man. Have you actually visited all the places you write about in the book?
JG: Yes. I would liked to have seen more of the American sites I mention but was not there long enough to do so. I've spent more time at the Australian sites the book visits. The Devils Kitchen where natives feasted on human flesh and the Hells Gate where my characters are ambushed ... they're all there in that beautiful northern wilderness. The ghost towns in the hills around the Palmer where 30,000 gold hungry diggers once tramped are still there in one form or another. And of course the 'Graves in the Wilderness', they're still there ... in some cases just a simple rock with initials scratched upon the face, but they're there.
AR: Diego (N'kawa) is a very well rounded, fascinating character. Where did you get the inspiration to create/fashion him?
JG: Initially, Piper's adopted brother was to be a former slave lad who had been taken in by the Campbells. I quickly altered that when I learned about the last of the Karankawa Indians being slaughtered on their trek back into their Texas homelands from Mexico shortly before the start of the civil war (recent history, huh?). I was intrigued and set out to delay the book until I'd learnt as much as I could about the Karankawa. That was a very satisfying episode of my research; it's a brilliant patch of American history and her people that to date has received little attention. I understand that there are some universities currently studying the Karankawa and I hope that their findings are widely published.
AR: You touch on incidents of racial conflict affecting N'Kawa while he's still in America, but he doesn't experience it so much in Australia. Has the racial climate there always been less fractious than in the U.S.?
JG: I could get into hot water here! You must remember that Australia had been settled by Europeans only one hundred years before my story takes place. America was well down the track to building skyscrapers then! That said, Australia does have a dark past when it comes to racial issues. Australia's early wealth was in its goldfields, and that's where the problems were magnified. Diggers needed that gold and the natives didn't need the diggers eating their wildlife and destroying their rivers - not to mention traversing sacred sites. Put simply, the natives stood between the diggers and gold; the natives had wooden spears and clubs while the diggers had carbines ... the diggers got their gold. Unfortunately, as wild game became scarce, natives took a liking to horseflesh and then human flesh, particularly the sweet, vegetarian Chinese. The result was as close as anyone will ever get to the genocide of a particular people as the natives were hunted down and slaughtered. N'kawa found himself torn between both worlds. He was revered by the natives and liked by the whites and yet at times had to make a stand against both.
AR: Where does Piper get the internal strength to persevere throughout all the tragedies in his life?
JG: I guess that his tragic past always gave him the strength to move on. He was striving to rebuild what his family had in Texas prior to the civil war but realized that he could not do that during the Reconstruction period. His move to Australia was like turning a fresh page. He couldn't know what lay ahead in his new country but he had to be strong enough to survive it, whatever the odds ... and he did, but at an enormous cost.
AR: Many of the battle scenes in the book are especially gruesome and brutal. Were those hard to write?
JG: Not really. I knew that they would shock the reader but I needed to portray each fight on a personal level as seen through the eyes of someone who was experiencing it. If a combatant feels a spear being forced through his neck, separating muscle and sinew before popping the skin at the rear of his neck with a resounding sound ... then I'd like to tell it that way; I'd like to pass on to the reader what's going through his mind and what he sees in the eyes of his aggressor. After all, a love scene doesn't end when the lovers reach the bed, the same as a battle scene shouldn't end after the first cannon roars into action. Some of the scenes are quite gruesome, but that's how they were in that particular period of our history.
AR: What are your future writing plans?
JG: Oh good, I can't get into too much trouble answering this one. My current work should be completed later this year. I never put a title to a manuscript until it's ready for the editors but the hook will be : 'As the summer lynching season of 1892 loomed and America slid toward economic panic, the last thing anyone wanted to be was poor, black and in Louisiana.' Hopefully it will be a good read and yes, it will be every bit as graphic as 'Graves in the Wilderness'.
AR: Any final thoughts you'd like to share with our readers?
JG: Absolutely. Firstly, thanks a million for your collective support and kind words about my work. Any writer can only continue to write if people buy their books ... that's the truth. I deliberately write with an 'easy read' in mind and nobody will ever see purple prose between the pages of anything I do. My work will never please everyone and nor should I strive to achieve that. What I can guarantee is that my work will wake your senses, tease them, confront them and then sooth them. It's my opinion that when a book does that to you, then it was probably worth the asking price. And finally, again, that you for your kind and continued support. Hope you enjoy the next one. God bless.
AR: Thanks again, Jock, and best of continued success to you in all your endeavors!
J.R. Gordon
ISBN: 1921030437
Sid Harta Publishers
Reviewed By Camille Parker
Official Apex Reviews Rating:
Texas, 1850's: Diego, born N'kawa to a family of Karankawa natives, is facing near death. His entire clan, ambushed by a merciless mob of Comanche aggressors, has been heartlessly exterminated, and, as the sole remaining survivor, he is suddenly face-to-face with the bloodthirsty wrath of his pursuers...
Out of nowhere, a group of ranchers led by Mac Campbell happen upon the scene of the slaughter, fortuitously dispatching of the Comanche warriors, the last one of which is slain by the young upstart, Piper, Mac's son. Diego initially refuses assistance from the ranchers in burying his family and comrades, but he soon makes his way to the family ranch in Argyll, ultimately being adopted by the Campbells and becoming the honorary half-brother of Piper himself.
The bond between the two young men strengthens considerably, keeping each one sane throughout the coming trials and tribulations: the ravages of the Civil War, the torrid instability that follows, and the eventual deaths of every other member of the Campbell clan. Before long, Piper and Diego resolve to escape the confines of their sorrows and venture out into the world, visiting lands they've never seen and embarking on adventures long dreamed.
Settling in a still-developing Australia, the brothers soon find themselves in the midst of yet another tumultuous time, but even with their combined wisdom and experience, neither is prepared for the tragedy and heartbreak soon to come
Graves In The Wilderness is a touching tale of loyalty and triumph over adversity. An enthralling read, Gordon does a superb job of compacting a very action-packed, fast-paced read within the greater framework of a engaging, sentimental narrative. Furthermore, his knowledge of historical events and indigenous culture are more than impressive.
Graves's most salient attribute: the strength and resiliency of the human spirit. Despite their losses of family and possessions, Piper and Diego never succumb to bitterness or hate, but instead remained committed to continuing to help the less fortunate, even at the cost of their own lives. Such gallantry is a rare find in any day and age, so Gordon's depictions of it in the embodiments of the Campbell brothers is both welcoming and refreshing.
Graves In The Wilderness is a highly recommended read for fans of good old-fashioned historical dramas - and, if you're not already a fan, this book will surely make you a new convert.
Official Apex Reviews Interview: J.R. Gordon (Graves In The Wilderness)
Apex Reviews: Thanks for joining us for this interview, J.R. We truly appreciate it, and we're looking forward to learning more about Graves In The Wilderness.
There's so much historical content in the novel. How much research actually went into putting the book together?
J.R. Gordon: The book evolved over many years in the research department. It was quite fascinating delving into what went on way back 'then' in the mid to late 1800's. Safe to say that I spent countless hours in archives, libraries, books and of course the Internet to get what I needed to move the book ahead.
AR: You mention in the 'Author's Note' that some of the story is fictionalized. What parts of the book are historically accurate?
JG: All timelines, places, events and most of the people mentioned in the book actually existed or happened. My key characters are inventions traveling through that timeline. The events of the day are seen through their eyes.
AR: The descriptions of the various cities/landscapes that the Campbell brothers visit are very vivid, and we learned from your bio that you've been quite the traveling man. Have you actually visited all the places you write about in the book?
JG: Yes. I would liked to have seen more of the American sites I mention but was not there long enough to do so. I've spent more time at the Australian sites the book visits. The Devils Kitchen where natives feasted on human flesh and the Hells Gate where my characters are ambushed ... they're all there in that beautiful northern wilderness. The ghost towns in the hills around the Palmer where 30,000 gold hungry diggers once tramped are still there in one form or another. And of course the 'Graves in the Wilderness', they're still there ... in some cases just a simple rock with initials scratched upon the face, but they're there.
AR: Diego (N'kawa) is a very well rounded, fascinating character. Where did you get the inspiration to create/fashion him?
JG: Initially, Piper's adopted brother was to be a former slave lad who had been taken in by the Campbells. I quickly altered that when I learned about the last of the Karankawa Indians being slaughtered on their trek back into their Texas homelands from Mexico shortly before the start of the civil war (recent history, huh?). I was intrigued and set out to delay the book until I'd learnt as much as I could about the Karankawa. That was a very satisfying episode of my research; it's a brilliant patch of American history and her people that to date has received little attention. I understand that there are some universities currently studying the Karankawa and I hope that their findings are widely published.
AR: You touch on incidents of racial conflict affecting N'Kawa while he's still in America, but he doesn't experience it so much in Australia. Has the racial climate there always been less fractious than in the U.S.?
JG: I could get into hot water here! You must remember that Australia had been settled by Europeans only one hundred years before my story takes place. America was well down the track to building skyscrapers then! That said, Australia does have a dark past when it comes to racial issues. Australia's early wealth was in its goldfields, and that's where the problems were magnified. Diggers needed that gold and the natives didn't need the diggers eating their wildlife and destroying their rivers - not to mention traversing sacred sites. Put simply, the natives stood between the diggers and gold; the natives had wooden spears and clubs while the diggers had carbines ... the diggers got their gold. Unfortunately, as wild game became scarce, natives took a liking to horseflesh and then human flesh, particularly the sweet, vegetarian Chinese. The result was as close as anyone will ever get to the genocide of a particular people as the natives were hunted down and slaughtered. N'kawa found himself torn between both worlds. He was revered by the natives and liked by the whites and yet at times had to make a stand against both.
AR: Where does Piper get the internal strength to persevere throughout all the tragedies in his life?
JG: I guess that his tragic past always gave him the strength to move on. He was striving to rebuild what his family had in Texas prior to the civil war but realized that he could not do that during the Reconstruction period. His move to Australia was like turning a fresh page. He couldn't know what lay ahead in his new country but he had to be strong enough to survive it, whatever the odds ... and he did, but at an enormous cost.
AR: Many of the battle scenes in the book are especially gruesome and brutal. Were those hard to write?
JG: Not really. I knew that they would shock the reader but I needed to portray each fight on a personal level as seen through the eyes of someone who was experiencing it. If a combatant feels a spear being forced through his neck, separating muscle and sinew before popping the skin at the rear of his neck with a resounding sound ... then I'd like to tell it that way; I'd like to pass on to the reader what's going through his mind and what he sees in the eyes of his aggressor. After all, a love scene doesn't end when the lovers reach the bed, the same as a battle scene shouldn't end after the first cannon roars into action. Some of the scenes are quite gruesome, but that's how they were in that particular period of our history.
AR: What are your future writing plans?
JG: Oh good, I can't get into too much trouble answering this one. My current work should be completed later this year. I never put a title to a manuscript until it's ready for the editors but the hook will be : 'As the summer lynching season of 1892 loomed and America slid toward economic panic, the last thing anyone wanted to be was poor, black and in Louisiana.' Hopefully it will be a good read and yes, it will be every bit as graphic as 'Graves in the Wilderness'.
AR: Any final thoughts you'd like to share with our readers?
JG: Absolutely. Firstly, thanks a million for your collective support and kind words about my work. Any writer can only continue to write if people buy their books ... that's the truth. I deliberately write with an 'easy read' in mind and nobody will ever see purple prose between the pages of anything I do. My work will never please everyone and nor should I strive to achieve that. What I can guarantee is that my work will wake your senses, tease them, confront them and then sooth them. It's my opinion that when a book does that to you, then it was probably worth the asking price. And finally, again, that you for your kind and continued support. Hope you enjoy the next one. God bless.
AR: Thanks again, Jock, and best of continued success to you in all your endeavors!