Search - The Lonesome Gods

Reading is more than a hobby for me - it's a passion. I list reading in the same category as... breathing. Except for Westerns. Until I picked up "The Lonesome Gods" by Louis L'Amour.

This wonderfully detailed adventure draws us in immediately by introducing Johannes Vernes, a young boy traveling with his dying father across the desert. His father, whose bravery is legendary, is determined to find a home for his son before he becomes an orphan. Unfortunately, Johannes already has a lot to overcome - a long-standing family hatred threatens his future, the harsh desert threatens his survival, and his own youthful inexperience at times threatens his success.

L'Amour's love for writing this book showed clearly in his lush depictions: The development of California, the exotic but stark beauty of the desert, and the effort he put into bringing each character to life. This book felt so authentic and was such an enjoyable read. More Westerns please!

A book to morph into your soul. This is a modern classic that is - in some cases - more readable for those who aren't especially avid. Don't want to take on War and Peace? This is the book for you. Very realistic, very accurate. I've ridden in country like this, and L'Amour knows how to write about it.

The Lonesome Gods is Louis L'Amour's biggest and most important historical novel to date, a sweeping adventure of the California frontier. Here is the fascinating story of Johannes Verne, a young man left to die by his vengeful grandfather, rescued by outlaws and raised in part by the Indians of the desert. Strengthened by the love of two women — Miss Nesselrode, whose mysterious past fires her ambitions for the future and Meghan, a willful young beauty — Verne grows to become a rugged adventurer, a man strong enough to embrace the awesome power of the Palm Springs desert, and bold enough to stake a claim in the bustling world of opportunity that was early-day Los Angeles.