Book Review: The Sea of Grass by Conrad Richter

 

The Sea of Grass       

Author:  Conrad Richter

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf

American release date:  January 1, 1961

Format/Genre/Length: Hardback/Western Fiction/149 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★

 

Hal lives with his uncle, Jim Brewton, on his uncle’s large ranch in New Mexico. But the life he enjoys is shredded when his uncle decides to take a wife, a young woman from St. Louis by the name of Lutie. Hal resents that because of this new wife, he is being sent to school in Missouri, torn from the land he loves. A telegram is received that announces her arrival in Salt Fork a day early. Hal can’t find his uncle, so has no choice but to pick Lutie up at the train station himself.

Half expecting to see a brassy, overly made-up woman, Hal is surprised to discover Lutie is the opposite. Even as young as he is, he realizes there is something about her, a sort of light, that draws people to her. When she inquires about her intended husband, Lutie is told he’s probably at the courthouse. Hal thinks that going there is a waste of time, since they’ll never be able to get in because it’ll be so packed with people clamoring to see the trial that is currently being held. But she proves him wrong, and they are given seats inside the courtroom, although Jim isn’t to be seen.

The case in question involves a shooting by a couple of Jim’s hands of a nester, a term used to refer to people who come out to the area to build their homes and start new lives. Everyone in the courtroom is respectful to Jim as he enters the room. Everyone but Brice Chamberlain, the district attorney, whose sympathies clearly lie with the would-be homesteaders. Hal’s uncle wins the case and they leave, but the DA has a few words for him.

Hal hates his school and misses the ranch, and the first chance he gets, he runs back to it. The ranch has changed greatly in his absence, all due to Lutie’s influence. But even Hal can see something in Lutie’s eyes that cries out. The solitary life doesn’t suit her, she needs people and gaiety in order to shine. People say she will change once she has babies, and babies she has – three of them. Two boys and a girl. One of the boys and the girl are dark-haired and dark-eyed, but the other boy has white-blond hair and blue eyes. Lutie does not seem to have changed, thougn, and when the children are still very young, she confides to Hal that she is leaving. Or running away, as some might say. She also says Jim knows.

Hal drives Lutie to the station. Jim is there, looking grim. It seems as though everyone is convinced that Lutie is mot leaving alone, and they are all looking for someone in particular to leave with her. Hal sees the DA, who is still his enemy, but the man doesn’t come near, and the train leaves without anyone having shown up to accompany Lutie. But Jim waits at the station anyway, even once the train has gone, to see if perhaps Chamberlain will take the next train to go after Lutie. But he never shows up, and now Lutie is all alone… and life goes on.

This is a book about people against the backrop of the rather divisive range wars – cattle ranchers against farmers. Jim Brewton represents what will become a dying breed – the gentleman rancher. While it’s true he runs a lot of acreage, it’s also true that a great deal of it actually belongs to the government and he does not hold title to it. That makes the settlers’ request to farm there seem more reasonable with their government-given 160 acres. But, as Jim points out, this land is not suitable to farming, and he turns out to be right.

Jim didn’t marry until later in life, and when it comes to Lutie, she can do no wrong. Even when she leaves him, he is nothing but patient, sending Hal to Denver to give her money after the cowardly Chamberlain is a no-show. Hal doesn’t catch on until years later why the third son, Brock, is so different, but it isn’t hard to see that he’s an affair baby. Even so, Jim treats him no differently tan the others, even when Lutie never sends for them or contacts them.

This novel touched me on different levels. Well-written, it captures the soul of its characrters, and the turbulence of those times. A movie was made starring Katherine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, and Melvyn Douglas. I haven’t seen it in years but I intend to watch it soon. I enjoyed this book a great deal and would recommend it, especially if you like character-driven stories.