Paradise Sky

I wish I had a tenth of Joe Lansdale's talent, but there are precious few contemporary novelists who even come close. Think James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux, Ian Rankin's Rebus, Ken Bruen's Jack Taylor, and Tony Hillerman's Chee/Leaphorn series. As good as these worthies are -- and they are truly great writers all -- they have developed their characters' authentic voices and backstories over multi-volume series. While Lansdale also has his Hap & Leonard novels, it's the stand-alone "one-offs" that best demonstrate the brilliance of his narrative style. Each of them (such as The Bottoms and The Thicket) give readers an immediate sense of time and place, and narrators who have unique voices. Set in the post-Civil War, Paradise Sky and based in part on a real person, gives us the story of Nat Love, who is by turns a Buffalo Soldier, Indian fighter, deserter, trick shooter, and Deputy. Over the course of the novel, Nat is pursued by vengeful racist Sam Ruggert, who is obsessed with killing the Black man who once inadvertently looked at Mrs. Ruggert's rear end. Along the way, Nat survives a deadly encounter with Apaches, is befriended and mentored by Wild Bill Hickock, and heads to a violent showdown with Ruggert. Nat's adventures becomes the stuff of legend, thanks to a series of dime novels written by a friend about Deadwood Dick (who is recast as a White man). By turns poetic, tragic, funny, and horrifying, Paradise Sky is yet another brilliant Lansdale novel featuring a remarkable narrator/subject living larger-than-life. It's certainly one of Lansdale's best, but that's pretty much true of any of his novels. If this is your introduction to Joe Lansdale, it's a great place to start.

You wouldn’t think that taking a moment to appreciate a woman’s well-formed derriere could go so horribly wrong, but in Joe Landsdale’s fantastic Western novel, “Paradise Sky”, it’s that simple (if somewhat mischievous) act that throws Willie Jackson into a bloody life of soldiering, battling hostile Apaches, gunfighting, accidental cannibalism, and revenge … all while riding a horse named Satan. You see, Willie Jackson is a teenaged black man in late 19th-century East Texas, and the son of recently-freed slaves. More to the point, the well-formed derriere belongs to a white woman whose husband is Sam Ruggert, a ruthless and bitter former slave owner and Civil War veteran who fixates on people who’ve wronged him to a pathological degree that rarely results in happy endings. And Ruggert caught Willie glancing at his wife in an ungentlemanly fashion… Willie narrowly escapes Ruggert’s eager lynch mob and returns to his family farm. Knowing what passes for “justice” for black men in the South, Willie’s father gives him an old revolver and tells him to run away for good. That doesn’t quite go as planned, and when Willie doubles back to his family homestead, he finds that Ruggert and his posse burned it to the ground … with his father still inside. In trying to put some distance between himself and Ruggert, Willie discovers that he’s a poor at horse thieving. As a result, he is captured by Tate Loving, a reclusive and highly-educated rancher whose time in the Confederate Army caused him to eschew both God and racism, but left him with other more lethal and practical skills. Seeing something of substance in Willie, Loving takes him under his wing rather than shoot him. Still a wanted man, Willie hides out on the Loving farm for a few years while Loving teaches him to read, write, and identify the constellations. He also teaches Willie how to ride and shoot like a Comanche, and Willie has a natural talent for both. But even after years, Ruggert still seeks revenge against Willie, and eventually he is found by Ruggert’s allies while lying low on Loving’s ranch. This forces Willie (now in his early 20s) to light out quick with a new name, Nat Love, and Ruggert hot on his trail. Though he’s on the run again, this time he’s got a far more dangerous skill set; one that eventually earns him the moniker “Deadwood Dick”. What follows this brutal beginning is a tale of fast-paced adventure and no small amount of violence (as well as some well-handled romance). Landsdale’s “Paradise Sky” not only preserves the tone we expect in a Western novel, but elevates it by weaving in textured, colorful characters (both good and evil), as well as sharp, insightful dialogue. The novel also showcases Landsdale’s trademark sly wit, which entertains and highlights important themes far more effectively than ham-handed preaching. And though “Paradise Sky” can be appreciated purely as an adventurous Western novel, there are some pretty strong themes running throughout. Obviously, race in the Old West is a big one. African Americans at best play a minor supporting role in most Western stories and histories, though it’s estimated that black men and women accounted for roughly 20% or more of that region’s population as soldiers, ranchers, cowboys, tradespeople, and business owners during the Old West era. In addition to providing a great story, Landsdale introduces numerous interesting and entertaining African American characters trying to make a living in the Old West. Some are purely fictional while others are lifted from history (including Bass Reeves). Their tales help the reader see the well-worn tropes of the Old West from a new, and sometimes unsettling, perspective. On the subject of historical accuracy, it should be noted that Deadwood Dick is an actual character featured in numerous Beadle & Adams dime novels published during the Old West era. Though several people laid claim to being the actual Deadwood Dick, Landsdale smartly hangs his hat on the real-life Nat Love, who was born a Tennessee slave in 1854 and earned the name Deadwood Dick after winning a shooting and riding contests in the famed town of Deadwood in the Dakota Territory in July 1876 (depicted in “Paradise Sky”). Eventually settling down as a pullman porter, Love wrote an autobiography in 1907, but like so many cowboy autobiographies of that time, it’s impossible to sift the hard facts from an aging cowboy’s highly fanciful interpretation of events. Though with respect to enjoying “Paradise Sky”, knowing the historical truth behind Deadwood Dick and Nat Love matters not at all. Landsdale skillfully mined the source material (be it historical or fictional) and crafted a smart, fast-paced, and rollicking Old West adventure.

I really liked the story. It was written so well that I got emotional at times in the story. Its disturbing all this inequality then as now in our world over color. I wish whites and blacks could simply get along as we are all humans without any of the racist thinking or comparing of White versus Black in Society. Thanks to the Social Engineering here in America we all grew up with such a way of thinking which is contrary to how God Almighty would want us to behave as His Creation! Overall, after I have finished reading this novel it gave me a great feeling of Happily ever after even though Nat Love went through some very difficult times. But he prevailed like we want all our Hero's in the world to prevail: with Grace and Dignity despite the suffering and hardship it caused! Always love and enjoy the Dark Humor that Mr. Lansdale comes out with in his stories! Definitely worth reading if you enjoy the era of stories from this time period....

Great reviews all the way, and rightly so. It's a rolling, sprawling, twenty carat gold of a western adventure, one in which nothing is spared: gunfights and downright cruelty makes you wince at times, but it all adds to the unforgiving reality. There's even time for a bit of romance in Nat Love's life, but even that runs far from smooth. The nasty guys in this tale are exactly that: the dialogue crackles with slick one-liners as the pain is dealt out, and Nat is pushed to the limits of human endurance to survive the punishment, so happily dished out by his adversaries. The pages cruise through comfortably, caressed with Lansdale's wit, and engaging repartee by the characters; you simply feel that this is the real West. If you can stomach the odd bits of true violence, this tale is an absolute must.

A great story by my favorite writer from Texas, a story about a great black western hero and you also Meet other legendary persons like Wild Bill Hickok, Bronco Bob and other famous Western heroes

Like every book from Lansdale, it simply is amazing. The story keeps you glued to it until you finish it and alternates hilarious and extremely sad moments.

Joe Lansdale is one of the top American storytellers and Paradise Sky is a masterpiece of entertainment.

Awesome book, very well written absolutely loved it, great insight into the period, fantastic characters, it's a 9 out 10