Rescuing Crockett

by

David Z. Pyke

Excellent historical fiction novel that explores an alternate fate for Alamo legend David "Davy" Crockett.

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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