The Taken. Dorchester. 277 pps., ISBN 978-1428511675.
Mike Kearby presents his readers with an Indian captivity story that immediately feels familiar, yet fresh. On an ill-fated trip to retrieve an errant mule, James Kensing takes his five-year-old brother,... William Barrett Kensing, with him, much to their mother’s concern. William Barrett is taken by a Kwahadi raiding party. A search for the boy turns up nothing, and time passes. On her deathbed, James’ mother makes him promise to find the boy, no matter what. There is no way he can tell her no, as he feels wholly responsible for the loss of the boy. With the stage set, Kearby uses a large pallet, spanning time and characters—historical (Quanah Parker) and fictional—as the two boys work their way back together; one a tracker bent on redemption, and the other learning how to be something other than he truly is. This is a quick-paced novel, and offers a depth of emotion not often found in pure genre novels. The author extended his reach, and was, for the most part successful, offering a satisfying and compelling read that is a welcome addition to the shelf of Indian captivity stories.—Larry D. Sweazy
