To The Far Blue Mountains by Louis L'Amour

Buy novel at Books-A-Million bookstore at https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/to-the-far-blue-mountains-louis-lamour/1143341953?ean=9780593722688

I just today finished To The Far Blue Mountains by Louis L'Amour. This was the second in the Sackett series published in 1976.

The story continues with Barnabas Sackett evading Queen "Bess'" pursuit of him for allegedly stealing old coins from the former King John's treasure that were lost during an event called "The Wash" that Barnabas had discovered near his homeland in the Fens in England and subsequently sold for profit to help fund his dream migration to America in 1599.

Upon capture by the Queen's men and escape from Newgate with his comrade, Tom Watson, Barnabas eventually sails with his ship and friendly sailor crew to America, befriends Catawba Indians in the Carolinas and Virginia area, and lives and fights among colonists to protect Jamestown (founded in 1607) among other settlements.

Barnabas marries love interest Abigail to beget four children--sons Kin, Yance, Brian, Jubal, and daughter Noelle. For purposes for his daughter to live a less rugged, more refined life, Abby and Noelle (along with legal student Brian) return to England to raise Noelle and Brian to study law, while Kin and Jubal remain in America with Barnabas to push further westward to discover new adventures and lands fulfilling their life's dream for such.

In light of that spirit of the westward trek, Tom and Barnabas are attacked by night at their campsite by a group of Indians who sought to avenge previous challenges to young warriors of its Seneca tribe leaving Barnabas wounded and approaching death at the end and seemingly halting cold his dream to venture to the far blue mountains he dreamed of reaching and settling. I hope he made it further in #3 The Warrior's Path!

I liked the adventures described in the novel. First, there is much philosophical thinking among many of the characters that vary contingent on each's background that I liked, whether Christian, Muslim, merchants, farmers, hunters, sailors, etc., in which L'Amour adds clever thoughtfulness adding to the quality of the book's content.

Next, there is much conflict and action between pirates, explorers, settlers, and Native Indians where unknown outcomes and unfolding resolutions of conflict kept me entertained. Individuals always appear chasing a better life for themselves as they tap into the rich mineral, fur, timber, sugar, and other resources, for trade among one another (and those back in Europe) on the continent.

Finally, the Sackett men are uniquely curious of what lies beyond westward than content settling in a primitive eastern colony, and set forth seeking adventure, wealth, and a meaningful life "to the far blue mountains" to the west and beyond.

I recommend always L'Amour novels to anyone interested in a good Western novel now and then and that includes To The Far Blue Mountains here. Some L'Amour novels I have read and many not. I am looking forward to a third good read in the Sackett series, The Warrior's Path, published four years later in 1980 by L'Amour, to see what direction sons and daughter of Barnabas and Abby, Kin, Jubal, Brian, Yance, and Noelle, are taken by a great Western author.