Moon Medicine

A fine window into the Old West of the 1840's before the heyday of gamblers and gunfighters, cattlemen and railroads and sheriffs at high noon in burgeoning cow towns, this book reminds us of an earlier era, when mountain men from the first decades of the nineteenth century mingled with traders, entrepeneurs and plainsmen to explore the wild country then populated by isolated nomadic tribes of Indians, many of whom had yet to see white men. In this era, the musket and muzzle loading rifle and single shot pistol were still dominant and the Colt revolver (introduced in the mid-1830's) was just making its debut. Unlike the revolver we're familiar with today, it didn't shoot bullets or load quickly but depended on a three step process for each cylinder, involving loading the powder, lead ball and percussion cap separately for each, jamming the "bullet" down into the seat of each cylinder with a small ramrod, just as the rifles of that era were loaded. That's why men of that day carried more than one gun (who wanted to have to stop and reload in the heat of battle?) and were normally skilled in a lot more ways of fighting than just drawing and shooting a pistol. It is this era that author Michael Blakely brings to life with his story of Jean-Guy, a young exile from a quality French school fleeing his native land after an unfortunate incident at home. Arriving in America at the port of New Orleans, the youthful Frenchman renames himself, Honore Dumant (later renamed Honore Greenwood and then "Plenty Man") and heads west to the place where his dreams have summoned him. There is an abundance of mysticism here and we're repeatedly informed by our narrator that he is a genius with a remarkable facility for languages, mathematics and a deeply sophisticated education, all of which young Honore hides through much of the book so he can blend in with the men he encounters. Honore also suffers from a condition which makes him unusually active during times of the full moon and highly susceptible to binge sleeps when the moon is new, presenting him with certain challenges and advantages in the Old West he finds beyond the Mississippi as well as a gateway into the mysticism of the Indian shaman. Also an accomplished classical violinist, he plays fiddle for those he finds and delights them all while seeking out and eventually winning a place among the wild Comanche who rule the plains and who other men fear. Honore manages to win the respect and friendship of most of the mountain and plains men he comes across, falling in with the trading company of Bent and St. Vrain which runs a series of forts across the prairie and deserts of what was then still Mexico (though not for long as the Mexican War is soon fought during the events of this book, bringing New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and California into the American orbit and changing forever the tone and texture of the Old West of Honore's day). If there are weaknesses here, and there are, they are to be found in th

I enjoy a good historical fiction novel every once in a while. This certainly fits that bill nicely. The story is about a runaway French boy wanted for murder who ends up joining William Bent's caravan heading to Bent's Fort. Soon he gets involved in trading with the Comanches and negotiating the release of captured children. The main character's name (Greenwood) comes from the journal of Lt. James W. Abert written in 1845. Nothing is really known of this Greenwood, so Blakely created this story around him. The author doesn't tell the reader where the name came from, I just happen to know. I look forward to reading part 2 called Come Sundown sometime next year.

This is the first in a 3-part (or more?) series: the narrator is (in 1927) the 99-year-old Honore Greenwood, born in France, and looking back over his life. The second installment (Come Sundown) is also available, and that novel suggests at the end that there's at least one more yet to be done. The author is a novelist and a poet: the latter quality comes through strongly here--the writing has a powerful and lyrical tone to it. There are elements that will remind you of some of the other fine western novels: Little Big Man (which was further north), Lonesome Dove and its sequels and prequels, and Harry Comb's striking novel Brules. You'll encounter many historical figures, ranging from mountain men to Comanche warriors. Greenwood moves comfortably between the Comanche and the whites such as Kit Carson. You'll get a strong and sympathetic view of the Comanche (not unlike Jack Crabb's movement between the Cheyenne and the whites in Little Big Man). McMurtry's view of the Comanche is more neutral, and Comb's view is much darker. If you've read McMurtry or Combs, you'll get a very different flavor for the True Humans here. This is a thoroughly enjoyable read!

I am an author and first read this book to gain a little insight into details of western tales. I soon found the story and its characters bigger than life and the disctiptions of western life and travel compelling. I grew up in southern Colorado and northern Mew Mexico. The country comes out in vivid detail in much of Mike Blakely's writing. I recommend Moon Medicine and its companion, Come Sundown highly.

An excellent Old West tale filled with all the things that make a great story -- action, adventure, humor, a hint of romance, and a central character who completely holds your interest. This page-turner is written in first person, and Blakely makes you feel as if you're along for the ride as young Honore Greenwood leaves his native France on the run and arrives in early 19th century America. Honore is the outsider in this land of Americans, Texans, Mexicans and various Native American tribes, but he quickly adapts to life in the Wild West, and his adventures along the way easily hold the interest of the reader. Despite its 400 plus pages, it was a quick read simply because I couldn't put it down.