THE CAPTIVE BOY
by
JULIA ROBB
Genre: Historical Fiction
Date of Publication: December 20, 2015
Number of Pages: 170
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Colonel Mac McKenna’s Fourth Cavalry recaptures white captive August Shiltz from the Comanche, only to find August is determined to return to the Indians. McKenna attempts to civilize August to nineteenth century American standards and becomes the boy’s foster father. But when August kills another boy in a fight, McKenna rejects him, and August escapes from Fort Richards (Texas). When war with the Comanche breaks out, McKenna discovers August is a war leader – and his greatest enemy.
PRAISE FOR THE CAPTIVE BOY:
“THE CAPTIVE BOY by Julia Robb is a story told in a unique way – through journal entries by several different characters, and a novel within the novel. Robb is masterful in her depiction of each character, bringing to life an intriguing tale of the Old West.”
— Writer’s Digest competition judge
“It will capture you and keep you engaged from the beginning all the way through the end and also give you insights into the difficulties faced by those who fought on both sides of the Indian Wars in Texas after the Civil War. Buy this book. You will not be disappointed.”
— Steve Mathisen
“Ms. Robb’s research is evident on every page. Without becoming bogged down in detail, she employs just enough of it to paint an accurate picture of a dangerous and unforgiving time.”
— Samuel L. Robinson
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“And no matter what anyone says now, many people tried to help August.”
The mixture of excerpts and accounts (including from a reporter, a doctor, and various other people) provides an air of believably in The Captive Boy, making it read more like nonfiction rather than fiction. While many children were no doubt captured by the Comanche, this book is an account of the aftermath of a fictional event that is entertaining, harrowing, and heartbreaking.
The book has August Shiltz, the captive boy, as the central theme; however, I find it centers more on Colonel McKenna and his doomed attempt to bring August back into white civilization. The picture painted by the eye witnesses is one of sadness and hardship and failure on both sides (August and his Comanche people and McKenna and the people under his watch at Fort Richards).
My favorite part of The Captive Boy comes from Dr. Rufus Champ’s journal. Because of the fort’s woeful lack of medical supplies, Dr. Champ is forced to rely on natural remedies, such as honey, thistle roots, and prickly pear cactus. This part of the story fascinated me the most because I’m an advocate for looking to nature first to cure what ails, and Dr. Champ’s ability to help his patients without the benefits of modern medicine (in those days) is quite remarkable and commendable.
The structure of switching between viewpoints can be a bit tricky to navigate in the beginning, but that variety of accounts provides a more rounded view of events and impressions of how the situation with August was handled and how the overall events played out. Each person’s view comes with the baggage of profession, knowledge, and personal feelings, so this structure appropriately allows the reader to see everything from every angle. The characters are all naturally flawed and pay a heavy price for their flaws, misjudgments, choices, and alliances.
The overall dynamics between August and Colonel McKenna and the sorrowful love story between Ben and Juana will break your heart and leave you contemplating how some people are destined to hurt and kill, some are destined to mitigate and heal, some are destined to command and conquer, and some are destined to piece it all together and tell the story.
Enter the giveaway below for a chance to win a signed copy of The Captive Boy by Julia Robb.
Julia grew up on the lower Great Plains of Texas, eventually became a reporter, and lived in every corner of the Lone Star State, from the Rio Grande to the East Texas swamps. She couldn’t shake images and experiences and began writing them down.
A priest once disappeared on the Mexican border and that inspired parts of Saint of the Burning Heart. She discovered a hypnotic seducer, who she turned into Ray Cortez, the bad guy in Del Norte. Reading about child Comanche captives and their fates made her want to write about a cavalry colonel who attempts to heal a rescued boy, and that turned into The Captive Boy. Finally, what happens to a man who is in love with another man, in a time and place where the only answer is death? That became Scalp Mountain.
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VISIT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:
| 6/19/18 | Book Trailer | The Clueless Gent |
| 6/19/18 | BONUS POST | Hall Ways Blog |
| 6/20/18 | Review | Reading by Moonlight |
| 6/21/18 | Author Interview | Syd Savvy |
| 6/22/18 | Guest Post | StoreyBook Reviews |
| 6/23/18 | Review | Max Knight |
| 6/24/18 | Excerpt 1 | Kelly Well Read |
| 6/25/18 | Excerpt 2 | Books and Broomsticks |
| 6/26/18 | Review | That’s What She’s Reading |
| 6/27/18 | Top 8 List | The Love of a Bibliophile |
| 6/28/18 | Review | Forgotten Winds |
Great review!
Thanks!
This sounds like a book that a reader will chew on for a while afterwards. Thanks for an excellent review.
Thanks! Yes, this book is quite thought provoking!
Thank you so much, Ruthie.
My pleasure!