Shannon Burke

Into The Savage Country by Shannon Burke is the story of a young man, William Wyeth, who joins an independent fur brigade in 1826 with the hopes of making his fortune. His fiance was against him going off to the wilderness but agreed to wait for him for the duration of one year. Although this is a totally fictional account, the author peopled the brigade with a number of fur trappers who would become famous Mountain Men, Jedediah Smith, Jim Bridger and Hugh Glass to name a few. But by far the most interesting character was the fictional leader of the group, Henry Layton who is almost psychopathic with violent mood swings, extremely charming and likeable one minute then nasty and unpredictable the next.

Layton is the son of a wealthy St. Louis merchant, he assembles the brigade and makes a treaty with the Crow Indians that allows them access to land that hasn’t been trapped before. The year looks to be highly successful, but unfortunately, treachery is all around them and they must face difficulties with trappers from the Hudson Bay Company and ambush from the Blackfoot Indians. Even when they are on their way out of the mountains, there is no safe passage for them and their pelts.

While the story is fairly predictable, I enjoyed the descriptions of the virgin wilderness and there was plenty of action to keep the pages turning, including confrontations with grizzly bears as well as with the natives. As an adventure and a story of courage, Into the Savage Country was an exciting read.… (mais)

Burke writes about "the weird, poor family in the rich neighborhood' and how their childhood was a crucible that molds and toughens them. Central are brothers Coyle and Willie Shannon and the competition that makes Willie's life hell.

The boys' father strives for success, working multiple jobs and studying for a teaching degree. He works the sons as hard as he works himself, employing The Methods to toughen them for the world. The stress gives him a short temper and violent outbursts. Their mother is a housewife with a college degree who ineffectually tries to keep the peace.

Coyle's academic and sports achievements were a testament to his father's Methods. But there was always the awareness of being the poorest family in the rich 'hood.

...there was that familiar feeling of knowing there was something wrong with us--with our clothes or haircuts of the way we talked. ~from The Brother Years by Shannon Burke

Coyle's antithesis is the wealthy Robert. Willie aligns with Robert in his bid to get on the tennis team. Coyle accuses his brother of being a suck-up. Robert and Willie use each other for their own purposes. If that pisses Coyle off, so much the better.

Memories of a friendship with a rich friend came back. Dad was a blue collar worker and mom a housewife. We had what we needed, but my clothes were from KMart and our special eating out treat was buying 15 cent burgers from a local chain. At fourteen, I wore mom's hand-me-down swing coat and dated bathing suit with boy pants.

When I was a freshman, a girl took me up as a project, much like Emma took up Harriet in Jane Austen's novel. My friend was wealthy, had been to Europe, and lived in a posh house that her father had designed. Her parents had college degrees. She encouraged me to lose weight, flirt with boys, and become 'cool.' At least, cooler. In the summer I went to her house to swim in her built-in pool. Mom bought me a new swimsuit to wear.

One day this friend told me her mother thought I was not the right sort for her because of our economic status. I don't know if her mom really said that or if it was the start of my friend pushing me away because she soon took up another 'project.'

The energy it takes to rise above one's born class! It takes the Brennan dad years to get that degree. The boys had to be the best in everything to get into a top-notch college and to get the needed scholarships to afford it. Their childhood was brutal, the competition violent.

I was immersed in the story and the characters. The Brennan family is unforgettable.

Burke has given us a powerful coming-of-age novel, a story of class divide and what it takes to achieve the proverbial pulling oneself up by one's bootstraps.

I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.… (mais)

This is a lively period piece on the mountain man / fur trading segment of the US western frontier in the pre-USCW period. I’m far from a period expert, but the history, tech and geography run true to me. The overall story telling was fine. It was a lively read, but the story is slightly lacking in dramatic tension. There’s more than enough action to carry the story but not enough to make this a read many times. However, if you want to see how fast the West changed from wild frontier to something a bit more settled, this is an excellent look at the first Trans-Mississippi phase.… (mais)