It takes a bold and confident hand to tackle a historical fiction novel involving the Battle of the Alamo, especially for an author from the Lone Star State, but I believe David Z. Pyke has crafted a winning tale in RESCUING CROCKETT. When rumors reach important ears in the federal government that former U.S. Representative David "Davy" Crockett is still alive and taken as a prisoner after the Battle of the Alamo, his fellow brothers-in-arms are compelled to investigate and mount a rescue should the rumors prove true. What results is this COMPLETELY FICTIONAL adventure story, stacked with historical figures and steeped in fact.
Told from multiple points of view, the story slowly builds with the main characters seeking eyewitnesses to Crockett's final stand. It was fascinating reading about their questioning of the survivors of the battle who were inside the mission with the Texas defenders and the diversity of their accounts of what they saw.
Included in the band of men searching for evidence of Crockett's fate is young Silas Grant, a sixteen-year-old from the Brazos Valley region near Washington-on-the-Brazos, who knew these war heroes from his participation in the final battles of the Texas Revolution. He's a more than competent companion to the older men in the group, easily carrying his own weight, even devising clever plans to save their bacon along the way. It was hard to remember that Silas was only sixteen as the story begins, someone who, nowadays, would be viewed as still a child, yet at the time of these events, was considered a man-grown. This was especially the case when it came to his sweet but mature romance with Emily Perry.
This author can definitely tell a story! There is plenty of adventure, excitement, danger, mystery, and romance to keep readers of almost any genre turning pages. The place descriptions are vivid and, at times, capture more than just the physical attributes of the setting. There is a scene early in the story where the Texians traveling to San Antonio finally reach the city's outskirts, approaching the ruins of the Alamo from the back. Their arrival is solemn and imbued with emotion for these characters, but I was affected myself just from the reading.
The author mixes fictional characters with many historical figures in a very natural way, and I was impressed by how many actual people were successfully incorporated throughout the story. The author includes additional commentary about some of those mentioned and some eye-opening stories about a couple of events and settings that make the Historical Note chapter a must-read.
With its engaging main and supporting characters – fictional and historical, intriguing premise, and fantastic storytelling deftly mixing fact with imaginative fiction, I recommend RESCUING CROCKETT to readers of historical fiction, especially those who enjoy Texas tales and stories of the Alamo.
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Reviews with images
Searching for a ghost of the Alamo
In Rescuing Crockett, author Daniel Pyke creates a history buff's dream by asking, "What if Davy Crockett survived the Battle of the Alamo?"The story begins at an 1838 diplomatic event in Mexico City honoring the ambassador of Spain. The ambassador invites guests to view sketches of Mexico's people and places drawn during the diplomat's recent tour of Mexico. Created by an aide, one of the illustrations captures the attention of Powhatan Ellis, a U.S. envoy who was a friend of Crockett's.Stunned by the drawing's strong resemblance to Crockett, Ellis is shocked to think the legend could be alive two years after the 1836 Alamo massacre. With a dozen questions racing through his mind, Ellis steals the sketch and plans to investigate whether Crockett survived the battle and is somewhere in Mexico.Ellis enlists a mix of Texas Revolution heroes to determine if the unthinkable is true: Crockett is alive. Further, if he is alive, attempt a rescue. The Texians are Henry Wax Karnes, Juan Seguin, J.C. Neill, Sam McCulloch, Horace Alsbury, and Jacob Millsaps. Also joining them is 16-year-old Silas Grant, a friend of McCulloch's.The group attempts to piece together clues by interviewing female battle survivors, including Susanna Dickinson, Eulalia Yorba, and Juana Navarro. They also track down Joe, a servant of William Travis, who was spared, and Rafael Vega, a former Mexican soldier.Using eyewitness accounts of the battle and the aftermath, the Texians start to experience a flicker of hope about Crockett. From there, the covert operation pushes deep into Texas and eventually Mexico, where a brutal encounter with General Santa Anna awaits--one that will answer the Crockett mystery.As a native Texan, I truly enjoyed reimagining Crockett's fate at the Alamo. The tale, as seen through the eyes of lesser-known heroes of the Texas Revolution, was a treat and spurred me to discover more about their roles in history. Many of his characters were actual persons, and kudos to Pyke for his research and for putting their contributions into perspective.I also appreciated the description of geography and terrain, which helped to paint a more complete picture of the time and place. I rate the novel four stars. Although it's a historical novel, I felt like I was reading history.I realize the author is working to establish young Silas Grant as a franchise character. However, he lacked the presence needed to stand next to real heroes. Pyke tries to increase his credibility with some action sequences, but those seem beyond the experience of his years. There is also a teen romance/sex interlude about halfway through the novel, which I found distracting.Pyke is a fine writer with a good eye for detail and a good ear for dialogue. His research is impressive, and he loves the characters he writes about. Overall, fans of historical fiction and the Alamo will find Rescuing Crockett thrilling and a welcome addition to books about the iconic last stand and its heroes.By the way, Crockett preferred David to Davy, so that you know.I received an advanced copy from Reedsy Discovery.
