The Last Ride - Hardcover

Thomas Eidson

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0718139283 ISBN 13: 9780718139285

Publisher: Michael Joseph Limited, 1995

Synopsis

Samuel Jones is a dying man, in body and in spirit. He has lost the love of the daughter he deserted years ago, when he went to live with the Indians, and now he hopes to make peace with her. But Maggie has grown into a fine, strong Christian woman with children of her own - a woman who has no need for a repentant old heathen and his Indian beliefs. The year is 1886, and the West has been declared officially "safe" for white settlers. This doesn't stop a band of renegade Apache from kidnapping Maggie's daughter Lily, with the intent of selling her to slave traders in Mexico. Samuel and Maggie set off, with Maggie's younger daughter, Dot, on a perilous rescue mission through the harsh, unforgiving New Mexico Territory. Together they must put the past behind them and fight for an innocent girl's life. Along the way, Maggie will learn to love her father once more, and reclaim a long-lost bond that not even death can break.

About this title

About the Author

Thomas Eidson is the author of four previous novels including the award-winning St Agnes' Stand. In 2004, Ron Howard made his novel The Last Ride into a feature film, The Missing. Thomas Eidson lives in Boston, Massachusetts.

From Booklist

Samuel Jones, a 76-year-old Indian warrior, is dying. As his last act, he wants to make amends with Maggie Baldwin, the daughter he deserted more than 30 years ago when he left to live with the Indians. But even in 1886, New Mexico life is dangerous. Soon after Samuel arrives at the Baldwin ranch, renegade Apaches severely wound Maggie's husband and kidnap her daughter, Lily. The locals who set out after Lily are caught in an ambush and decimated, forcing Maggie and Samuel to form an alliance to pursue and reclaim Lily. Samuel, despite his age and illness, is still a formidable warrior, but he knows his magic is dwindling rapidly. He must summon all his faith to reunite his daughter's family. Similarly, Maggie must overcome her dogmatic Christian faith and her personal bitterness to forgive and understand this man who abandoned her but is now willing to die for her. An outstanding adventure tale, this second entry in an outstanding western trilogy--St. Agnes' Stand opened the set--offers a thought-provoking take on the enduring if often cliche{‚}d notion of "family values." Arguing eloquently that love can transcend time and pain and bitterness when strengthened by acceptance and faith, Eidson's epic, like Lonesome Dove, deserves a readership well beyond the boundaries of its genre. Wes Lukowsky

Edition details

• Publisher: Michael Joseph Limited
• Publication date: 1995
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0718139283
• ISBN 13: 9780718139285
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1