So Brave, Young, and Handsome by Leif Enger

Reviewed by Jennifer

Ratings

Content Ratings based on a 0-5 scale where
0 = no objectionable content and
5 = an excessive or disturbing level of content

Guide to Rating System

LANGUAGE

VIOLENCE

SEXUAL CONTENT

ADULT THEMES

So-Brave-Young-and-Handsome

Ratings Explanation

Language: One use of “bastard”

Violence: A man discloses that he killed a man once. He shot him three times. A fist fight ends with a man falling and breaking his neck. Men are shot on more than one occasion. Characters discover a dead man who has been shot in the head. A man hits another man with a pistol and breaks his collarbone. A young outlaw is shot and killed in the street. His body is displayed in a main street window. None of the violence is graphic.

Adult Themes: A man is running from the law and his mistakes. He must determine how to make amends for what he has done. Men steal and cheat. Honesty and obeying the law.

Synopsis

Monte Becket and Glendon Hale are unlikely companions. Monte is a family man with the distinction of having authored one runaway novel, but afraid that he just doesn’t have another tale in him. Glendon is a former train robber who deserted his wife 20 years ago. Now, determined to find her and clear his conscience, he enlists Monte’s help on his journey to redemption.

Monte learns that Charlie Siringo, an ex-Pinkerton, is still hot on Glendon’s trail, itching to bring him to justice. Monte realizes that if they are to track down Blue, Glendon’s one-time love, they must dodge Siringo long enough to find her. Adventure and danger abound as the two men travel cross-country, but the real journey for Monte is one in which he will find himself and his way back home.

I loved reading Peace Like a River by Leif Enger several years ago, so I was excited to read So Brave, Young and Handsome. Enger’s effortless writing style is a pleasure to read and I enjoyed his newer book as much as the first. While the story line belongs mainly to Glendon’s pursuit of absolution, Monte is the one I enjoyed getting to know the most. His character is revealed through his associations with both Glendon and Charlie. With Glendon we see that Monte has a rebellious and law breaking side, but through his interactions with Charlie we learn that he is kind, honest and trustworthy. Monte describes himself as a “trustworthy outlaw” and is even mad at himself for being kind and grateful to his two time captor, Charlie. Glendon is already the man he has become, but we get to see Monte become the man he wants to be. A fantastic early-20th century western tale with gun fights, pretty girls, train rides and cowboys – and virtually no objectionable content. A modern-day treasure.

A couple of lines I quite enjoyed.

“Why is it our failures only show us more clearly the people we are failing?”

“Don’t bother to live as long as me, Becket, it is only occasionally worth it.”