Wayfaring stranger: a novel

*Starred Review* Burke takes a break from his Dave Robicheaux series to offer an ambitious, deeply satisfying historical thriller that fills in backstory on the author's other fictional family, the Hollands. With two series already in place starring contemporary members of the Holland clan, Burke now steps back in time to tell the story of oilman Weldon Avery Holland and his struggle to carve a life for himself on his own terms. The tale begins in 1934 with a chance encounter between the 16-year-old Weldon and Bonnie and Clyde, whose reckless spirit both frightens and entrances the young boy, who is looking for a way to escape the many-tentacled entrapments of his family. That way comes with WWII, where Lieutenant Holland and his sergeant, Hershel Pine, miraculously survive the Battle of the Bulge and encounter a concentration camp survivor, Rosita Lowenstein, with whom Weldon falls in love and eventually marries. The wartime scenes showcase Burke at his best vivid, finely wrought, highly evocative writing detailing the horrors of battle but, in the story, those scenes merely set the table for the horrors to come, when Weldon and Hershel strike out for themselves as wildcat oilmen but soon run afoul of the old-money tycoons driving the industry. Stand-up guys versus bent big shots is one of Burke's perennial themes, but this time he throws a few curves, especially in the way he incorporates Weldon and Rosita's love story into the oil battle and shows Rosita to be the most stand-up guy of all. A wonderful slice of midcentury American life overlaid with the roiling drama of individual lives as only Burke can portray them. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Burke's Dave Robicheaux mysteries always make best-seller lists, but this historical thriller may have even more sales potential, as it will draw a larger crossover audience.--Ott, Bill Copyright 2010 Booklist

Early in this epic American saga from MWA Grand Master Burke, Weldon Holland, the grandson of lawman and series character Hackberry Holland, has a chance run-in with Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow in Texas, shortly before the notorious bank robbers are gunned down in Louisiana. Weldon has another, more significant coming-of-age experience toward the end of WWII. As an Army second lieutenant, he rescues Sgt. Hershel Pine when both are trapped behind German lines. Weldon later saves Rosita Lowenstein, a concentration camp prisoner, who fought against Franco in the Spanish Civil War. After the war ends in Europe, Weldon marries Rosita. Back in Texas, Weldon and Hershel build an innovative oil pipeline business, but their success creates an enemy, oil tycoon Lloyd Fincher, who as a U.S. Army major was known as "a dangerous idiot." Lloyd attacks the entrepreneurs through their wives, most notably Rosita, smeared mercilessly for her leftist past. Weldon occupies the high moral ground, but he's not above meting out his own brand of justice. His quest to save his wife generates some suspense, but this is more morality tale than thriller, the story of one man's struggle to live with integrity in postwar America. Burke, best known for his Dave Robicheaux series (Light of the World, etc.), writes with great assurance and wisdom, as well as a kind of bitter nostalgia for lost innocence. Agent: Philip Spitzer, Philip G. Spitzer Literary Agency. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Burke's (Light of the World) latest is a -character-driven stand-alone novel featuring members of the Holland family from his "Hackberry Holland" series (Lay Down My Sword and My Shield; Rain Gods). Following the Battle of the Bulge in January 1945, Lt. Weldon Holland of Texas and Sgt. Hershel Pine of Louisiana are left to fend for themselves. Stumbling upon an abandoned concentration camp, they rescue Rosita, the woman who will become Weldon's wife. After the war, Hershel and Weldon go into the oil business together, laying pipelines in Texas and Louisiana. Weldon and Rosita become fast friends with Hershel and his wife, Linda, a rising Hollywood star. Unflappable and old-fashioned, Weldon discovers that his relationships will be pushed further than he could imagine when blackmailers threaten the couples. Weldon stands firm against injustice, no matter how out of hand the situation gets. VERDICT Similar in sweep to Edna Ferber's Giant, this intricately plotted novel is recommended to readers interested in dramatic renderings of the societal changes of postwar America. While there is the suspense that Burke's fans expect, they will find the pace slower than in his previous novels. [See Prepub Alert, 1/10/14.]-Emily Hamstra, Univ. of Michigan Libs., Ann Arbor (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

A sequel to the Hackberry Holland trio (Feast Day of Fools, 2011, etc.) thats also an unofficial prequel to most of Burkes other 32 novels.Weldon Hollands fate was sealed the day four strangers drove onto his grandfather Hackberrys ranch and parked there as if they owned the place. After the exTexas Ranger had words with them, they drove off at their leisure, but not before Weldon recognized two of them as Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow and fell hopelessly in love with Bonnie. The memory of her haunts him throughout his World War II service, and the echo of her he sees in camp survivor Rosita Lowenstein leads him to carry her first to the altar and then back to Texas. The happy couple is soon followed home by Weldons wartime buddy Hershel Pine, whos convinced he has second sight about some things, like the application of Nazi technology to the oil pipelines hes determined to build and his gift for picking gushers. The two hit up Weldons uncle Cody for a loan and go into business, and although Hershel overrates his gifts in some ways, hes spot-on about enough to make the Dixie Belle Pipeline Company a success that will attract the attention of predatory investor Roy Wiseheart, who smilingly assures Weldon, Were more alike than you think, and tempt Hershels wife, Linda Gail, to dreams of Hollywood and adultery. The postwar setting allows Burke to dramatize the uncertain early days of big oil, but the characters, their volcanic conflicts and their implacable demons will be instantly recognizable to Burkes many fans.Instead of focusing on the wages of long-ago sin, as he generally does, Burke (Light of the World, 2013) shows the sins actually being committed over several fraught years in the nations history. The result is a new spaciousness married to his fine-tuned sense of retribution. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

*Starred Review* Burke takes a break from his Dave Robicheaux series to offer an ambitious, deeply satisfying historical thriller that fills in backstory on the author's other fictional family, the Hollands. With two series already in place starring contemporary members of the Holland clan, Burke now steps back in time to tell the story of oilman Weldon Avery Holland and his struggle to carve a life for himself on his own terms. The tale begins in 1934 with a chance encounter between the 16-year-old Weldon and Bonnie and Clyde, whose reckless spirit both frightens and entrances the young boy, who is looking for a way to escape the many-tentacled entrapments of his family. That way comes with WWII, where Lieutenant Holland and his sergeant, Hershel Pine, miraculously survive the Battle of the Bulge and encounter a concentration camp survivor, Rosita Lowenstein, with whom Weldon falls in love and eventually marries. The wartime scenes showcase Burke at his best—vivid, finely wrought, highly evocative writing detailing the horrors of battle—but, in the story, those scenes merely set the table for the horrors to come, when Weldon and Hershel strike out for themselves as wildcat oilmen but soon run afoul of the old-money tycoons driving the industry. Stand-up guys versus bent big shots is one of Burke's perennial themes, but this time he throws a few curves, especially in the way he incorporates Weldon and Rosita's love story into the oil battle and shows Rosita to be the most stand-up guy of all. A wonderful slice of midcentury American life overlaid with the roiling drama of individual lives as only Burke can portray them. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Burke's Dave Robicheaux mysteries always make best-seller lists, but this historical thriller may have even more sales potential, as it will draw a larger crossover audience. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

Burke's (Light of the World) latest is a character-driven stand-alone novel featuring members of the Holland family from his "Hackberry Holland" series (Lay Down My Sword and My Shield; Rain Gods). Following the Battle of the Bulge in January 1945, Lt. Weldon Holland of Texas and Sgt. Hershel Pine of Louisiana are left to fend for themselves. Stumbling upon an abandoned concentration camp, they rescue Rosita, the woman who will become Weldon's wife. After the war, Hershel and Weldon go into the oil business together, laying pipelines in Texas and Louisiana. Weldon and Rosita become fast friends with Hershel and his wife, Linda, a rising Hollywood star. Unflappable and old-fashioned, Weldon discovers that his relationships will be pushed further than he could imagine when blackmailers threaten the couples. Weldon stands firm against injustice, no matter how out of hand the situation gets. VERDICT Similar in sweep to Edna Ferber's Giant, this intricately plotted novel is recommended to readers interested in dramatic renderings of the societal changes of postwar America. While there is the suspense that Burke's fans expect, they will find the pace slower than in his previous novels. [See Prepub Alert, 1/10/14.]—Emily Hamstra, Univ. of Michigan Libs., Ann Arbor

Early in this epic American saga from MWA Grand Master Burke, Weldon Holland, the grandson of lawman and series character Hackberry Holland, has a chance run-in with Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow in Texas, shortly before the notorious bank robbers are gunned down in Louisiana. Weldon has another, more significant coming-of-age experience toward the end of WWII. As an Army second lieutenant, he rescues Sgt. Hershel Pine when both are trapped behind German lines. Weldon later saves Rosita Lowenstein, a concentration camp prisoner, who fought against Franco in the Spanish Civil War. After the war ends in Europe, Weldon marries Rosita. Back in Texas, Weldon and Hershel build an innovative oil pipeline business, but their success creates an enemy, oil tycoon Lloyd Fincher, who as a U.S. Army major was known as "a dangerous idiot." Lloyd attacks the entrepreneurs through their wives, most notably Rosita, smeared mercilessly for her leftist past. Weldon occupies the high moral ground, but he's not above meting out his own brand of justice. His quest to save his wife generates some suspense, but this is more morality tale than thriller, the story of one man's struggle to live with integrity in postwar America. Burke, best known for his Dave Robicheaux series (Light of the World, etc.), writes with great assurance and wisdom, as well as a kind of bitter nostalgia for lost innocence. Agent: Philip Spitzer, Philip G. Spitzer Literary Agency. (July)