I am a big Larry Watson fan and LET HIM GO did not disappoint. It is a
great followup to books like WHITE CROSSES and MONTANA: 1948.
After their adult son is killed
in an accident, his widowed wife marries again and leaves the
Blackledge's home to go with her new husband to Montana. She takes their
grandson with her, of course, and therein lies the problem.
"With you or without you," Margaret Blackledge insists, and at these words George knows his only choice is to follow her to Montana.
George takes to the road with
Margaret by his side, tracking down the Weboy clan quickly. When Margaret tries to
convince Lorna to return home to North Dakota, bringing little Jimmy
with her, the Blackledges find themselves mixed up with the entire Weboy
clan, a horrific family determined not to give the boy up without a
fight. It's more about possession than love with a family like this.
This slim volume contains a
heart-pounding story, unforgettable characters, terrific atmosphere and
some of the most beautiful prose you will ever read. I liked it almost
as much as MONTANA: 1948, making it still one of my favorite books. Oh,
to write like Mr. Watson.
This was made into quite a decent movie with Kevin Costner and Diane Lane a few years ago.