Crows and Cards

  Helgerson's Crows and Cards captivated me with its stunning detail and amazingly in-depth plot.  I was unable to put the book down as I found myself drawn into the emotional story of a young farm boy named Zeb.  Zeb is thirteen years old and is deemed mature enough by his parents to begin the apprenticeship of the family business.  His parents decide it best to send him by way of a river boat to his uncle's fur trapping business to begin his intense training.  Along his journey, he meets a wealthy, big-city gambler named Chilly.  Zeb is so taken by Chilly and his high-roller lifestyle, that instead of going to his uncles home, he sneaks away with Chilly and assumes the role as his new gambling apprentice.  His adventures are centered in the downstairs rooms of an old saloon, managed by his shady friends Goose and Ho-John, a black slave.
   Once Zeb settles into his new surroundings, his role is to help Chilly get the saloon ready for gambling nights.  Chilly orders Zeb and Goose to rig up a way to cheat the system and steal the gamblers money that come into the saloon.  Zeb expresses his disapproval of the scheme, but Chilly convinces them that they are simply "teaching the wealthy gentlemen how to share their good fortune."  Zeb encounters a pouch full of money and questions Chilly regarding its origin.  Chilly says it used to belong to an old Indian Chief named Standing Ten Bears. The pouch was his medicine bag and carried great value to him, Chilly took it by means of bad gambling.  The intensity of the story heightens, as the old Indian chief comes into the saloon and boldly challenges Chilly in a game of cards.  The winner taking all, including the mystical powers of the pouch. The Indian chief dramatically wins the card game with a hand consisting of 4 aces and one wild.  He victoriously claimed his pouch and all of Chilly's possessions. In a rage,  Chilly chases him into the woods, but is unsuccessful in finding his foe or his possessions.   Meanwhile, Zeb and Ho-John also escape and promised each other they would never come back to Chilly's saloon.  Zeb returns home to the safety and easy-going lifestyle of his parents farm.  
   I believe that the themes and life lessons of this novel are to always listen to your parents and to always be honest in your dealings with others.  Parents have great wisdom and insight and are trying to make their children successful.  I think that if Zeb had followed his parents counsel and went to his uncles business he could have avoided great trials and danger. Also if you cheat nothing good will ever come from that.  I personally believe that cheaters never prosper!

   I really enjoyed reading this book because it was very captivating and well written.  I would strongly recommend this book for people that are drawn to old western books or even action books. I would advise you that there are a few swear words used when certain characters express their frustrations/anger and it can be a little confusing with all the authentic western slang/dialect they use but with those exceptions it is an outstanding book that most everyone should put on their "read next list".