At this advanced stage of his career, James Lee Burke has hit another high point. âDon't Forget Me, Little Bessieâ is an arresting portrait of Bessie Mae Holland, a resilient 14-year-old girl navigating the harsh realities of World War I-era Texas. Like Burke's signature male characters, Bessie exhibits an indomitable spirit, refusing to yield to the wickedness that permeates her world. This narrative stands as a testament to Burke's enduring power as a storyteller and his ability to create compelling, unyielding protagonists.
âI was tired of other people controlling my life and treating me like a fence post. Is there any law in the Bible or the Constitution that states a child has to accept the will of stupid or corrupt adults? When David was about twelve, he slung a rock between Goliath's eyes and chopped off his head for good measure. That was always one of my favorite Biblical stories.â
If you are thinking of Mattie Ross from âTrue Grit,â you are in the same ballpark.
A cast of memorable characters populates the story. Bessie's father is the legendary former Texas Ranger, Hackberry Holland, dedicated to his daughter despite battling alcoholism and longing to return to the untamed fervor of Mexico and Pancho Villa. Her brother, Cody, is now a professional boxer and connects her to Benny Siegel, Meyer Lansky, and Owney Madden. Ida Banks, Bessie's teacher, finds herself branded as a suffragette, atheist, and a woman of questionable moral deviancies⦠Well, she did teach the poems of Emily Dickenson.
Indian Charlie, a figure of pure malevolence, is the quintessential James Lee Burke villain. Ironically nicknamed "Indian" not for his heritage, but for his brutal slaughter of Native Americans, he is the ever-present threat. His depravity knows no bounds, encompassing murder, rape, and the wholesale destruction of anything in his path. He has long fixated on Bessie and her father have always been his focus and the stage is set for what promises to be a showdown of epic proportions.
The supernatural plays a part in many of Mr. Burke's novels, and here it takes the form of Mr. Slick. His initial appearance seems like a threat to Bessie, and she does not back down to him. His background and motivations seem a little vague at first and, while some people say they can see him, others just accept his existence as something Bessie needs to believe in. He evolves as the book progresses, acting as a protector and reluctant co-conspirator at times. This âhaintâ of Bessie's is not just around to spook, he is a thoroughly developed and full-bodied character.
James Lee Burke is an American treasure. He can not only develop memorable characters and plots, he locks down the scenery with a prose bordering on the poetic. My introduction to him was in his Dave Robicheaux books, set in Louisiana. The sites, the sounds, the electricity in the air drew me in. None of this felt forced, the way some authors will take a detour to insert some flowery descriptions.
I have read the two dozen or so Dave Robicheaux books, as well as the Holland family series and several stand-alone books and short story collectionsâ all excellent work. I look forward most to the Robicheaux books, but âDon't Forget Me, Little Bessieâ is certainly a highlight and the best thing I have read from him in a long time.
And some randomnessâ¦
âYou are surely an unusual spirit, Mr. Slick.â " I ain't got full spirit credentials, Miss Bessie. Besides, there's some full-bred humans that's eviler than demons. I know a mess of them.â
âI guess we all have our way of dealing with this world and the next. But Good Lord, why does everybody in my family have to be crazy?â
âWhen people are in trouble, they believe what they need to believe. There was no doubt I wanted a friend with supernatural powers. Maybe I had made up Mr. Slickâ
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
âI was tired of other people controlling my life and treating me like a fence post. Is there any law in the Bible or the Constitution that states a child has to accept the will of stupid or corrupt adults? When David was about twelve, he slung a rock between Goliath's eyes and chopped off his head for good measure. That was always one of my favorite Biblical stories.â
If you are thinking of Mattie Ross from âTrue Grit,â you are in the same ballpark.
A cast of memorable characters populates the story. Bessie's father is the legendary former Texas Ranger, Hackberry Holland, dedicated to his daughter despite battling alcoholism and longing to return to the untamed fervor of Mexico and Pancho Villa. Her brother, Cody, is now a professional boxer and connects her to Benny Siegel, Meyer Lansky, and Owney Madden. Ida Banks, Bessie's teacher, finds herself branded as a suffragette, atheist, and a woman of questionable moral deviancies⦠Well, she did teach the poems of Emily Dickenson.
Indian Charlie, a figure of pure malevolence, is the quintessential James Lee Burke villain. Ironically nicknamed "Indian" not for his heritage, but for his brutal slaughter of Native Americans, he is the ever-present threat. His depravity knows no bounds, encompassing murder, rape, and the wholesale destruction of anything in his path. He has long fixated on Bessie and her father have always been his focus and the stage is set for what promises to be a showdown of epic proportions.
The supernatural plays a part in many of Mr. Burke's novels, and here it takes the form of Mr. Slick. His initial appearance seems like a threat to Bessie, and she does not back down to him. His background and motivations seem a little vague at first and, while some people say they can see him, others just accept his existence as something Bessie needs to believe in. He evolves as the book progresses, acting as a protector and reluctant co-conspirator at times. This âhaintâ of Bessie's is not just around to spook, he is a thoroughly developed and full-bodied character.
James Lee Burke is an American treasure. He can not only develop memorable characters and plots, he locks down the scenery with a prose bordering on the poetic. My introduction to him was in his Dave Robicheaux books, set in Louisiana. The sites, the sounds, the electricity in the air drew me in. None of this felt forced, the way some authors will take a detour to insert some flowery descriptions.
I have read the two dozen or so Dave Robicheaux books, as well as the Holland family series and several stand-alone books and short story collectionsâ all excellent work. I look forward most to the Robicheaux books, but âDon't Forget Me, Little Bessieâ is certainly a highlight and the best thing I have read from him in a long time.
And some randomnessâ¦
âYou are surely an unusual spirit, Mr. Slick.â " I ain't got full spirit credentials, Miss Bessie. Besides, there's some full-bred humans that's eviler than demons. I know a mess of them.â
âI guess we all have our way of dealing with this world and the next. But Good Lord, why does everybody in my family have to be crazy?â
âWhen people are in trouble, they believe what they need to believe. There was no doubt I wanted a friend with supernatural powers. Maybe I had made up Mr. Slickâ
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
