Mark Warren (1)

What makes this book special is the humility of the author. This is not a story about a man who sets out aggressively to test himself against the wilderness or to wrest secrets from nature. This is a man who has always felt a deep reverence for nature and who, from a very young age, taught himself to literally walk softly in the wilderness, to be one with it rather than see it as "other." His time in a tipi isn't a personal test, it's the natural evolution of his lifestyle after a bolt of lightning hits the very old, tin-roofed cabin he'd been living in and incinerates it, depriving him of everything his owned except his truck, a knife, the clothes on his back, and his dog.

He orders the tipi cover from a merchant, but fells trees, strips, and conditions the poles himself, reflecting all the time on the skill of the Cherokee -- particularly the women -- who had perfected the art long before he tried it, and giving thanks to the trees whose wood he takes.

As he tells his story, it's not about "How cool am I?" but "Let me show you how amazing and beautiful the natural world is." He writes of beautiful, profound, and amusing encounters with fox, raccoon, deer, snakes, bear, and his beloved dog Elly; of how rain enters a tipi and how -- if you've done your work right -- it slides down the poles to the edge of the space instead of pouring down in the center; how the moon becomes part of planning travel; how to bathe in a winter river respecting the need to keep soap out of it; and how scared schoolkids, intimidated by being in the forest at night, learn courage and reverence not because of what he tells them as much as by their own willingness to engage with nature.

He writes like a poet and a lover, and this book is and profound without being preachy. I think that anyone with a soul would find value here. Those who are already close to nature would appreciate Warren's talent in communicating the experience, and those of us who are distant from it can be awakened to what we miss -- and what we need to cherish and preserve, even if we never visit in the way that he does.
… (mais)

I love historic fiction! The only thing I knew about the old west was from the movies I used to watch growing up. The only thing I knew about Wyatt Earp was from "Tombstone" and the Kevin Costner movie "Wyatt Earp". "Adobe Moon" is the "real deal". It is first in the trilogy "Wyatt Earp, An American Odyssey". This book was well researched, and it is beautifully written. I think Mark really nailed Wyatt Earp's character. It's almost like he knew him in another life. I enjoyed watching Wyatt grow up, and learning more about his family, his life on the farm, and his early career before becoming a lawman. Wyatt was down to Earth, straight-forward, and no-nonsense. His life before his fame is very intriguing and it is understandable how it all contributed to the man he became. More than anything I appreciate beautiful writing, and Mark Warren does that well! His descriptions put us right there on the prairie and in the saloons. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy a great read and learning more about our western heritage. I am looking forward to book 2 in the trilogy "Born to the Badge"… (mais)

Warren has a gift for descriptive writing. Whether it be the conversations of these fascinating characters or the beautiful southwestern scenery, Warren paints a vivid picture of what life must have been like in Tombstone, Arizona. This trilogy is not just for those who enjoy a good western novel, but for anyone who loves traveling to those places that can only be visited through the well-written words of an expert on the subject. The fact that these books are so historically accurate is just a bonus!… (mais)