The Trail Ends in Texas
Summary
The Trail Ends in Texas is a beautifully written and theologically powerful Western trilogy by T.W. Lawrence. Set in an ambiguous period of America’s Wild West era, this story follows Cowboy, a man searching for answers to his spiritual restlessness, and his faithful horse Dusty. The journey leads him up into the mountains of Montana, then back down to his home in Texas, meeting various characters and challenges along the way, each with a kernel of Christian truth.
Assessment
The Trail Ends in Texas is the complete Dusty and the Cowboy Western novella trilogy in one volume. Each chapter is arranged as its own short story that fits into the larger narrative and comes with a set of guiding questions to help the reader reflect on the theological message.
The most stellar part of this story is the writing style. T.W. Lawrence writes the story with a warmth that is difficult to capture with mere words on a page. The narration feels as though an old friend, or perhaps a favorite uncle, were telling the story around a campfire. Friendly, detailed, dramatic where it needs to be, toned down and soft in other places, there is no doubt that this story was written by a master of the craft.
With any other writing style, the incredibly blunt theological message of the series would be unbearably preachy and obtuse. However, with The Trail Ends in Texas, the Christ-focused message is conveyed perfectly, without putting the reader on edge or having the message stick out like a sore thumb. In this book, the story and the theology are blended together seamlessly by the storytelling.
Light-o-Meter
Writing Style: 7 out of 7 Little Lights
Plot: 6 out of 7 Little Lights
Worldbuilding: 6 out of 7 Little Lights
Characters: 6 out of 7 Little Lights
Theological Message: 7 out of 7 Little Lights
Overall: 6 out of 7 Little Lights
Talk
The Trail Ends in Texas may be one of my absolute favorite pieces of Christian fiction ever. In fact, the only story off the top of my head that may beat it is C.S. Lewis’ Perelandra, but that is only because I related more to the main character’s spiritual journey than to Cowboy’s (and I still related to Cowboy’s quite a bit!). The writing style, the elegant simplicity of the characters and the plot, the details the author brings out during this journey through the Wild West are all beautiful and timeless. The theological messages are tight, relevant, and expertly woven into the story without bogging it down or making me feel like I’ve accidentally stumbled into a church service.
Few stories could be this blunt about elements of the Christian faith or experience without becoming little more than sermons. The Trail Ends in Texas manages to avoid the burden of becoming a moralism with expert deftness.
For fans of Westerns, this is a must read. For people who aren’t too keen on Westerns…this is still a must read. Don’t let the genre of “Western” intimidate you or turn you off from it if that’s not your genre. The fact that The Trail Ends in Texas is a Western is, honestly, set dressing. Important to the plot and the character’s context, yes, but between the theological message and the writing style, the fact that it is set in the Wild West melts away into the background. This is, for all intents and purposes, something like a modern Pilgrim’s Progress.
Wrap-up
The Trail Ends in Texas is the collected Western trilogy from master author T. W. Lawrence. These three books follow the story of one man’s journey that takes him from Texas all the way to Montana and back, searching for answers. With his faithful horse, Dusty, the man simply known as Cowboy encounters a variety of people, animals, and events that shape his spiritual life, leading him on the path to forgiveness and an easing of guilt.
Where to Enjoy
Amazon: The Trail Ends in Texas: The Complete "Dusty and the Cowboy" Trilogy
Barnes & Noble: The Trail Ends in Texas: The Complete "Dusty and the Cowboy" Trilogy
Alibris: The Trail Ends in Texas: The Complete "Dusty and the Cowboy" Trilogy
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