Page Count:  306

Author:  Elmer Kelton

Publisher:  Forge/Tom Doherty Associates, LLC

ISBN:  0-812-57599-7

Category:  Fiction

Genre:  Western

Dove's (Personal) Review:  One of Kelton's best!!!
     The following is taken from the back cover:

     QUOTE:  "Hewey Calloway has a problem. In his West Texas home of 1906, the land and the way of life that he loves are changing too quickly for his taste.
     Hewey dreams of freedom... he wants only to be a footloose horseback cowboy, endlessly wandering the open range. But the open range of his childhood is slowly disappearing: land is being parceled out, and barbed-wire fences are springing up all over. As if that weren't enough, cars and other machines are invading Hewey's simple cowboy life, stinking up the area and threatening to replace horse travel.
     As Hewey struggles against the relentless stream of "progress," he comes to realize that the simple life of his childhood is gone, that a man can't live a life whose time has passed, and that every choice he makes - even those that lead to happiness - requires a sacrifice."  UNQUOTE

     Hewey Calloway, and Spring Renfro (Hewey's love) are two of the best Western characters ever put to paper. Hewey fears change, and dreads the day automobiles will replace his beloved steed, Biscuit. He's a wanderer, never hanging his hat in one spot for very long at a time. Spring Renfro is a school teacher, and looks forward to marrying, children, and having a home to call her own. When these two meet, two very different worlds collide.
     Elmer Kelton creates personable characters, breathtaking scenery, engrossing plots, and he combines them all with that charming, highly comical, Western wit.
     All fans of fiction - not just Westerns - will adore this book! "The Good Old Boys" recieves a huge GOLD-STAR, and a TWO-THUMBS-UP ranking!
     Y'all git ya'selves a copy of this here book, y'here?!?!? Pronto!