Bullhead :

Rating:
Summary: Rises above the genre
Review: In his novel "Bullhead," New Mexico author
John A. Truett took a familiar Old West story,
made it contemporary and then added a surprise
ending.
That surprise ending lifts "Bullhead" above
most other books in the contemporary Western
genre.
"Bullhead" is the story of Jerena Cohen, a New
York journalist, who meets and falls in love with
Texas rancher Bo Miles. After a whirlwind ro
mance, they marry and begin their life together on
the ranch, which is located in the Texas Panhan
dle near the small town of Bullhead, which Here
ford readers will find somewhat familiar. In his dedication to "Bullhead," Truett notes a
tie to Hereford as he writes: "To all my friends in
Hereford, Texas. Without their unstinting gener
osity, this story couldn't have been told."
As Jerena struggles to adapt to life on an
isolated ranch, she and Bo must also contend with
all of the troubles of that confront ranchers,
including blizzards, tornadoes and lack of water.
These problems are compounded by personal
troubles, including the death of her father and
good friends that she makes in the Panhandle,
and the greed of Garth Snider, a neighboring
rancher who controls the water that Bo needs for
his cattle.
Help is provided by fellow rancher Ardlo Gatlin,
who offers friendship and a hand when Bo and
Jerena need it.
Along the way, Jerena continues to write,
drawing on the experiences of her new life as a
rancher's wife, and struggles to be supportive of
her tempetuous husband.
The book is an easy and enjoyable read, and
thanks to Truett's easy style of writing, we get to
know and care about the characters and what
happens in their lives.
If there is a flaw in the book, it is in Truett's
development of Garth Snider. The villain of the
piece just isn't developed as thoroughly as the rest
of the cast, so his conflict with Bo is not explored
in much depth.
However, that minor flaw doesn't detract from
the story, which really comes down to a young

couple trying to make a life for themselves while
struggling against all of the obstacles that life can
throw at them.
"Bullhead" is a book that should easily find a
niche in this part of the country, where many
people probably have met couples similar to Bo
Miles and Jerena Cohen.
And, there is that surprise ending.