My rating: 4 of 5 bookmarks
This is a really enjoyable read. It's a juvenile fiction story, but it has some nicely developed characters that do not come across in a childish manner as if the author is writing to only children and I think it can be an enjoyable story for the whole family.
It is a western story set in the Cimarron country during the height of the activity of the outlaw, William Coe and his gang. While Coe and cattleman, Charles Goodnight are the only real characters in the book, the family of protagonists is based on a real family. The story focuses primarily on nearly 13-year-old, Jonny Hardy and his family and their encounters with William Coe.
I read this first as a child and just re-read it again recently. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and am giving the 4-star rating simply because there were a few instances of events which just didn't seem quite realistic. All in all, it's a fun story.
