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Reviewed by:
  • Journey to Plum Creek by Melodie A. Cuate
  • Deborah Bloys Hardin
Journey to Plum Creek. By Melodie A. Cuate. (Lubbock: Texas Tech University Press, 2012. Pp. 196. Illustrations, maps.)

Note regarding changes to the book reviews section: The publishing world is undergoing a revolution in product delivery that no longer restricts the choice in book form to cloth or paperback. Electronic and print editions in various formats each require a separate ISBN, prices vary on a frequent basis, and there are increasing opportunities for self-publication that defy traditional bibliographical organization. Consequently, with this issue the editorial board of the Southwestern Historical Quarterly has decided to streamline the headers that introduce book reviews by removing ISBN, format, and pricing information. The rest of the publication data will be provided based on the print copies from which reviews are done, and in those cases where a book appears in electronic format, the publisher’s listing will be employed. We hope the change does not produce too much inconvenience.

Ms. Cuate’s sixth installment of the award-winning Mr. Barrington’s Mysterious Trunk Series, Journey to Plum Creek, does not disappoint. In fact, this reader expects more awards to come Ms. Cuate’s way for her excellent handling of the two sides of this historic issue, the Great Comanche Raid of 1840; the revenge raid against the Texian settlements after the deaths of many Comanches at the Council House Fight in San Antonio earlier in the year

In this adventure Hannah, her best friend Jackie, and her brother Nick are swept from a cave near Austin straight into the Great Comanche Raid. Nick and the girls are separated in this tale, with Nick fighting on the side of the Texas Rangers and the girls taken captive by the Comanches during the raid on Victoria. The girls are treated differently while they are held captive, giving the reader some idea of the treatment captives received at the hands of the Comanche warriors and their women. Nick falls in with the Texas Rangers who are pursuing the raiders in the hopes that he will find and rescue the girls. We are treated to a view of how the Rangers hunted, fought, and played during these difficult times in Texas’s history.

This tale is certainly one of the best in the series. The timeline, cast of characters, glossary, illustrations, and maps all give the reader a deeper understanding of the story and the characters. Ms. Cuate draws the reader into the past in such a thrilling way as to captivate the interest of any student of Texas History. As with each of these books, this reader eagerly awaits the next installment of the adventures of Hannah, Jackie, and Nick. [End Page 345]

Deborah Bloys Hardin
Abilene, Texas
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