The Bad Lands

This is a powerful, vivid novel about the "Range Wars" in the West. Lord Machray, a big, burly, megalomaniacal Scotsman, dreams of creating a cattle empire in the Bad Lands of North Dakota. His chief enemies are Yule Hardy, a rancher, and Bill Driggs, who hates to see the beautiful country he's known all his life fall prey to invading civilization. Caught in the middle is Andrew Livingston, a New Yorker (based on Teddy Roosevelt) who comes to the West after the death of his wife and daughter in order to get a grip on things and also to do some cattle-ranching of his own. Other major characters include Mary Hardy, Yule's frail but strong-willed daughter who would rather be any place other than the Bad Lands and does find a way to escape; and Cora Benbow, a whorehouse madam who has come to love Machray. With strong character development and sharp dialogue, Hall has constructed an excellent novel. We are immediately drawn into the story through the introduction of the eccentric (but not so eccentric to be unbelievable) Machray, with his loud and brash talk, his Scottish brogue, and his fearless visions of power and empire. Livingston is also a fascinating character, intelligent and well-bred, who is drawn to Machray's bold personality even though his plans counter his own. His love for Mary, which he is unable (or unwilling) to act upon because of his tragic loss ("I will never marry again. I cannot allow myself to embark upon relationships that exist only to be destroyed," he tells her), is poignant and sad, and beautifully developed by Hall. As is usual in most of his novels, the dialogue is crisp and strong. One of Oakley Hall's best books; definitely worth checking out.