The Californios

In this novel, L’Amour explores the ancient spirituality of Native Americans in a tangential way while adhering to his tried and true formula of adventure, lovely women in distress, and brave young heroes.  Finding his mother in despair following the death of his father, and with financial loss looming, Sean and his mother pursue a rumor of treasure buried deep in the mountains beyond his Malibu home. L’Amour paints the mystic “Old Ones” into his story with a movement of bushes here, and a mysterious wind-borne cry there, all within an ambiance of dusky, trembling stillness. Masterful!