Cy Bellman decides to head west in the early 1800s after grieving his wife for 10 years. He leaves behind his 10 year old daughter Bess in the care of his stern sister.

More farmer than wilderness explorer, he seeks to emulate Lewis and Clark, but also search the little-explored territories for mammoth beasts. He is ill-prepared for the journey, which becomes increasingly longer, despite having the help of a native guide. Meanwhile, Bess is growing up in poverty back in Pennsylvania.

A sparse, well-told story encompassing themes of grief, depression, and coming of age.

Also check out The Hunger (Alma Katsu), Westering Women (Sandra Dallas), Treeborne (Caleb Johnson), Undaunted Courage (Stephen E. Ambrose)

Thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for my copy!

West is an interesting little book. The plot isn't much: an explorer's journey, the people he meets along the way, and those he leaves behind. But the way Davies tells us this story is immaculate. The prose is so beautiful and the world unfolds in front of you in a golden haze. Davies writing here is so lovely, the sounds of the words stay in your mind after finishing the last page. It has the feel of a fable or fairytale, the separateness of it from our own time but the emotions and desires are still very much a part of our present.

This timelessness is a hallmark of how Davies weaves the story between Cy Bellman, his daughter Bess, and a host of other individuals each adding little tidbits about each other and the world they inhabit. My main recommendation though for readers is to read it straight through. It's a book to get lost in, not as much one to pick up and put down. There isn't much traction to the plot itself since the reader knows from the beginning that Cy will not find what he seeks so it can be difficult to get back into after being away from it. I made this mistake, hence the length of time it took me to finish this short novel. However, I very much enjoyed it.

Note: I received a free Kindle edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher Scribner, and the author Carys Davies for the opportunity to do so.

This short novel, provides a detailed picture of a moment in time, early in the 19th century, as the United States is a nation on the edge of wilderness, beginning to push further into that unknown area. John Cyrus Bellman, of Pennsylvania, becomes enraptured by a story he sees at the town subscription library. Large bones, including apparent tusks, have been unearthed in Kentucky. Cyrus is a dreamer; he has already left England for America. Now he has a new dream: to see these enormous living creatures for himself. And where would they be? In the West, most of which remains largely unknown to Americans. Only the Indians live out there.

To live this dream, Cyrus must leave his 10 year old daughter, Bess, behind, in the care of his disapproving sister, Julie, for possibly two years. In his obsession with his goal, two years of his daughter's life is an insignificant cost.

The details of life in the town, on the mule ranch with Bess and Julie and the hired hand, and on the long journey with Bellman all strike a realistic chord. The various people in all the settings are a realistic combination of good and bad, caring and uncaring. The story alternates viewpoints among Bess, her father, the hired hand, Julie, occasional people Bellman meets on the trail. And while I did anticipate a part of the ending, I did not guess it all. While there are some coincidences within the story's structure and possible hints of forward thinking, I found them easy to forgive. For the most part this novel seems rooted in its time.

West is an interesting look into the American past and into the spirit of the dreamers and explorers who still search today for new places and creatures, but now look deep in the oceans or beyond our world altogether.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review

This quiet little book was very enjoyable. Set in the 19th century it follows a man whose curiosity about the mammoth skeletons found in Kentucky leads him to believe that these creatures must still be alive somewhere in the unexplored American West. He leaves his young daughter with a harsh and taciturn aunt and ventures westward. The story of his adventure is transposed against the life of the child left behind. Interesting read.

A moving and imaginative story involving a colorful assembly of characters. A quick and enjoyable read. Would love to see a follow-up book delving into Bellman’s American Indian guide’s future.

Published by Scribner on April 24, 2018

John Cyrus Bellman leaves his daughter Bess at home in Pennsylvania so that he can take a journey, initially following the path blazed by Lewis and Clarke, with such detours as might be necessary to accomplish his objective. His wife is dead; his sister will take care of Bess, although his sister regards Bellman as a fool who will not survive the journey.

Bellman read a news article about huge mammoth bones dug up in Kentucky, and he believes such creatures, much larger than buffalo, are still roaming in the unexplored west. The article produced “a fierce beating of his heart, a prickling at the edge of his being, and there was nothing he wanted more now than to see the enormous creatures with his own two eyes.”

The consensus of opinion, shared by all but Bellman’s daughter, is that Bellman is a fool and a half-wit who will never be seen at home again. His neighbors suspect he is having a midlife crisis (although that term hasn’t yet been invented), to which most men respond by buying a new horse or a fancy hat and taking up with other women. But Bellman views the journey as the choice between staying at home with “the small and familiar” or “being out here with the large and the unknown.” The reader, having the advantage of historical hindsight, knows Bellman will not find the creatures he seeks, but the courage of the failed explorer is no different than the courage of explorers who discover something wondrous and new.

West is the story of Bellman’s journey, accompanied by a young Shawnee guide named Old Woman from a Distance. While West celebrates the spirit of the explorer, it also asks whether it is preferable to undertake a quixotic journey or to be content with the “small and familiar.” In their absence, Bellman comes to appreciate the business he built, the daughter he misses, the people he knew. It is up to the reader to admire Bellman for chasing a dream or to fault him for abandoning his responsibilities.

West is also the story of Bess, who waits at home for her father’s return, listening to her aunt complain about all the things she dislikes. Both characters face perils. Bellman’s are those of an explorer in conflict with nature; Bess’ are those of a girl who has no father to protect her from the various men who view her with predatory intent. And finally, West is the story of Old Woman from a Distance, who is on an adventure of his own, hoping in the end to have earned self-esteem as he navigates among white men who refuse to teach him their languages.

West has the feel of a stillborn legend. Bellman is just a bit larger than life, but his actions are well within the realm of possibility, and we know he will never find the creatures he pursues. Coincidence or fate plays a role in the story, but the plot does not feel contrived. Carys Davies tells the story in graceful but straightforward prose, creating a convincing historical setting without adding unnecessary detail. The story does not blink from the harsh and arbitrary realities of life, the mistaken impressions that lead to misguided judgments, but it conveys the sense that even in the face of tragedy, hope should never be abandoned.

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“Regard him, Bess, this person, this fool, my brother, John Cyrus Bellman, for you will not claps eyes upon a greater one. From today I am numbering him among the lost and the mad. Do not expect that you will see him again, and do not wave, it will only encourage him and make him think he deserves your good wishes. Come inside now, child, close the door, and forget him.”

The fancies of men and the hardship of women they leave behind hits you between the eyes in this short novel. Cy Bellman reads about ‘colossal ancient bones discovered in the salty Kentucky mud’ and longs to discover the living creature. Because in this great, vast land there could very well be such a creature hidden. He decides to leave his sister Julie in charge of his young daughter, Bess. A widowed man, she believes, would do better to find another wife not run off on lunatic adventures. But his mind is stubborn as the mules he makes a living breeding. He is on fire with the idea of the creature and his possible discovery, it eclipses the reality of his daughter left behind with worthless animals, men sniffing around in this hungry place, and unprotected as she is becoming a young woman that before long inspires the attention of men.

Is it the grief that turned his mind to such a wild idea, so consuming he closes out the dangers he puts his little girl in? Julie’s aunt is unlikable, and pushy. Bess’s days are swallowed up with boredom, particularly listening to her aunts complaints or her scoldings about her unchristian behavior. Then there is Elmer, who seems to be making himself ‘at home’ with Aunt Julie. He has his own ideas, and Aunt Julie seems to be under the spell of his attention, shocking that her tightly wound, cold aunt could desire a man! I chose the particular excerpt above because it speaks volumes of the sort of woman her Aunt is. No nonsense, blunt to the point of cruelty. I have a different feeling about her though too, who would be all sugar and spice and everything nice in harsh times, especially when one isn’t born with beauty or wealth? At the mercy of a man’s whims, be he your husband, father, brother- or worse, any man that decides he sees something worth taking.

The story goes back and forth between Bess and Julie’s struggles and Cy’s wanderings in a harsh landscape he may well have underestimated. To think he could be gone two years, or if Aunt Julie is to be believed, forever forces Bess into hopeless lonely days. There are threats just as dangerous as the wilds her father faces that Bess will have to confront. Will her father survive his mad search for a rumored creature, will she?

Atmospheric and depressing, it is well written and takes the reader back in time. I enjoyed it, I wonder how much more interesting it would have been had it been longer. It kept my attention, but I think I wanted more time with Bess.

Publication Date: April 24, 2018

Scribner

Goodreads Rating: 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

Extinct creatures provide a foil for reflection on the extinction of ideal expectations of society and of hope for dreams coming to fruition in early America.

Davies novella focuses on the narrative of John Cyrus Bellman who, after reading a newspaper article about the discovery of giant animal bones, becomes intensely obsessed with going west and finding the giant creatures. (The article likely details the finds at Big Bone Lick in Kentucky. "The Sixth Extinction"'s second chapter also contains a wealth of info on the discovery of mammoths in the Eastern U.S.). Not knowing that these creatures are extinct, he travels to the Rockies convinced that they are still alive and are so elusively close at each stop. Travelling with a native companion, Old Woman from a Distance (who may be the only one in the story who gets what I would consider a content ending), he travels at least three years towards the Rockies, convinced that the creatures are still alive and are so elusively close at each stop.

Cyrus leaves his daughter, Bess, behind at home with his sister Julie, who doesn't seem to really care or acknowledge that she is supposed to take care of Bess. Bess is at an age (10-12) where she's headstrong and doesn't yet care or acknowledge the stereotypes she "should" be adhering to. She goes to the library to try and read up on where her father is going, imagining him not only going to find the creatures, but also to find her mother, who had died a few years before. Unfortunately, the two men who are prominent in the story--Elmer Jackson, the neighbor who comes by to help maintain the farm, and the nameless librarian--both take advantage of Bess. Although she is not naive to what's happening, she feels powerless against the attacks, doesn't have anyone she can talk to about it, and quickly realizes that people are not to be trusted regardless of how nice or helpful they may seem. I hoped this plot would have ended up being more substantial and worthwhile in terms of making a point, showing Bess overcoming these wrongdoings in the end and proving herself above low expectations. But it ended up being just an opportunity for a valiant rescue in the end, which didn't even come to anything. I truly wished Bess would have been more of a character.

The brief chapters alternate between Cyrus's travels and Bess's experience at home, and all these chapters vividly reminded me of movie montages. This style made a short book seem even shorter, as these montages are very sparse in description and speed by just about as fast as in a movie.

Despite the issues I had with Bess's storyline, the novella was a fun read as a whole and I'd definitely recommend it. Although it sped by, it didn't leave me wanting more--in a good way. I felt the storylines were wrapped up well and while it does lend itself to additional stories, I'm glad that it ended how and where it did.

Cy Bellman is restless. He's a widowed single father and has an all consuming need to explore, to look for the mammoths he's read about. He leaves behind Bess, his 10 year old daughter on his mule farm with his sister. Cy is driven by this need to see these animals with his own eyes.

This is a book about loneliness and a connection between a father and daughter. It's sad, it's full of hope, it's wonderful.

West by Carys Davies is a spare, often beguiling tale about man’s desire to understand the unknown and how far someone will go to satiate their curiosity.

West is about a Scottish immigrant and widower named Cy Bellman who reads about the discovery of bones of a mammoth creature in the paper and experiences an overwhelming urge to search for the creatures in the wild western frontier. Bellman leaves his 10 year old daughter in the care of his sister with his only plan being to search where explorers Lewis and Clark didn’t go. This book is at its strongest when describing Bellman’s journey and the emotional, as well as physical, toll it is taking on him. You can feel why Bellman needs to make this journey and be convinced that he will find something even as his sister and others in town think he’s a fool. Davies’ descriptions of the west through the eyes of the hopeful Bellman take on a certain magical quality. Where the story wavers is in the telling of the challenges that Bess faces while waiting for her father to return. There isn’t as much emotional depth when describing Bess as there is with Cy. There are also some strange plot choices with some of the characters surrounding Bess that feel out of the blue, especially in a book as short as this one. There is also an extreme use of deus ex machina at the end of this book that feels totally unnecessary and out of tone with the rest of the story. It feels like an attempt to jazz up the ending, which really lets down a story that was told with emotional care up until that point.

This is a novel that really shines at times with emotional resonance, but ends up getting in its own way with a disappointing final act. Overall a quick, mostly worthwhile read that maybe would have fared better as a short story.

John Cyrus Bellman had an adventurous spirit. Having left Britain, he became a mule breeder in Lewistown, Pennsylvania. Bellman, a widower, lived with his ten year old daughter Bess. Bellman's so called hum drum existence was kicked up a notch when he read about colossal animal bones discovered in Kentucky. In the early nineteenth century, a journey of discovery was a monumental undertaking, one that he welcomed.

Bellman perused the journals of Lewis and Clark in the local subscription library noting unexplored areas. He planned to follow the Missouri River while taking side trips to check out some uncharted regions. He bought a stovepipe hat thinking that the tall hat would make him appear powerful and imposing. His only companion was a hired guide, a suspicious seventeen year old Shawnee boy named Old Woman from a Distance.

Ten year old Bess must fend for herself. Her tight-lipped, bible toting Aunt Julie will be her caregiver for the duration of Bellman's absence. Bess is not allowed to attend school and must fight tooth and nail to be allowed to visit the subscription library in order to view maps and journals enabling her to imagine and envision her father's journey west. An unsavory, leering librarian waives her subscription fee.

Enthusiasm and obsession with finding large animal fossils drives Bellman's journey. The stark, beautiful landscape is challenging. Equally challenged is Bess, trying to navigate her life after being left with an unfriendly, judgmental aunt. "West" by Carys Davies is an excellent, amazing debut novel I highly recommend.

Thank you Scribner and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review "West".

West is an eloquently-written short novel that tells the tale of John Cyrus “Cy” Bellman, who becomes obsessed with finding animals that are possibly extinct after some giant bones are found in Kentucky. He becomes so obsessed that he can think of nothing else. He simply must go west in search of these fantastic animals.

Leaving behind his daughter, his home, and his mule breeding business, he packs up a bunch of trinkets to trade with and heads out on his horse. His sister moves into the home to care for his daughter in his absence. He plans to be gone only two years. His daughter is ten years old when he leaves. In his absence, the neighbor, a man named Elmer Jackson, takes over some of the labor around the place. But he is really creepy and perverted and not the type of person who should be given such a position of trust. Bellman doesn’t know that though, so he thinks everything is OK.

The daughter, Bess, is bored at home. She does not go to school and she can’t afford the price of a subscription to the library in town. Eventually, the librarian lets her in to read the books, but his altruism comes with a potential cost as well.

Meanwhile, Bellman makes his way further west and eventually hires a 17-year-old Shawnee boy to be his guide. Neither one of them speaks the others language, but they seem to get by OK. Bellman writes often to his daughter, but the letters have a way of not making their way back to her. Will Bess ever hear from him again? Will his quest prove the existence of the mysterious animals?

The novel is very short, but a lot is packed into the few pages. It can be read in a couple hours. The characters are drawn in sparse terms, but the reader gets a picture of each and their motivations come clear. There are no long descriptive passages, but you still come away with a clear picture. You can see that Bellman is a big guy and has bright red hair and a red beard. Elmer comes across as slovenly and unkempt. Bess’ aunt is very strict and seems like a hard person to get along with.

There are few detailed descriptions of the country in which Bellman travels, but enough hints that you can understand that he’s in a vast wild place. In a way, this parallels the experience of Bess, who only has the maps in the library to look at as she tries to figure out what route her father would take and where he might be at any moment.

It’s a pretty interesting examination of human nature and how we all find something that motivates us. It’s also part adventure tale, as Bellman moves off into unexplored territory. I enjoyed this novel and thought it was a good read and a tale that had a nice resolution to it. It might be short, but the story packs a punch. You will enjoy it.