Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Texas Book!
Review: Being a native Texan and a former history I found this to be an
interesting book.The book tells of Remy Fuqua moving to Texas to
start his life.Once in Texas he marries Beatrice the daughter of
wealthy Mexican parents.Together they have three children.His
wife and two of his sons are seized by a feirce Comanche chief by
the name of Kills White Bear.Remy rescues his wife and one of his sons.Once home Beatrice has a child that has been fathered by Kills White Bear.Remy rides with Sam Houston and does battle
with Mexican bandits and the Comanche Indians.He later has a
confrontation with Kills White Bear.A very well written fiction
book that sounds like actual history.Read this book.You will have
a better grasp of the early days of Texas.
Rating:
Summary: Multiculturalism is not easy.
Review: D. Marion Wilkinson gives us in this book a marvelous epic, that of Texas. Real historical characters are all around us in this book, though it is centered on one Remy Fuqua who is fictional and leads us across all racial, social and ethnic groups of this country, or rather this nation. French, Irish, Scottish, Mexican, true Anglo-saxon and American and of course essentially the Comanches but also a couple other Indian tribes. It also leads us right into the heart of a neverending conflict between the Tejanos of Mexican ascent and the Texians of American ascent. Texas appears like an essential pawn on the North and Central American chessboard that has to be conquered if anyone wants to control the whole continent.Yet history and fate have decided that things were not supposed to be simple, and were supposed to be the result of the compelling movement of the Americans to the West, and of a sheer superiority in numbers and violence, enhanced on the American side by technological inventions like the revolver. Thus there is no way to resist against the arrival and the mentality of the Anglos, the American newcomers. The book is dominated by several unsolvable dual conflicts. First, that between the first Anglos and the Mexicans. Remy will trespass the limit and that will not be simple. It will remain conflictual till the end of his and his falmily's sojourn in Texas. Then the divide between the Tejanos and Texians as opposed to the Comanches. A perpetual war for conquest or survival, according to the side, that will never end but with the death of the mythic chief Kills White Bear. This duality will be embedded in the book twice : Remy and Beatriz's son will be stolen by Kills White Bear and raised as a Comanche under the name of White Eagle . Note this constant element on the side of this Comanche chief and his adopted son : their animal spirits are albino in both cases, as if the Whites were an absession, a fatality, an unescapable doom. Then this duality is embedded a second time by the impregnation of Beatriz by Kills White Bear when she is his captive. And the second son who will be born from this forced union will become a second son for Remy, a substitute for his lost son. But the book goes a lot farther than that by finding a third level where to use this duality. The end of the novel is the bloody and poignant confrontation of the two sons and brothers. The final bullet is so dramatic that I cannot tell you who will shoot whom. It would destroy too much of the suspense. And yet it is a beautiful ending, even if Beatriz will never know about it. Only one son will survive. We must make an important remark. This book is brutally, ruthlessly and superbly realistic. The author gives the real details of the barbarity of all sides, be it the Mexicans, be it the Comanches or be it the Texians. They are all barbarians, even if at times in different ways, that is to say with different gods and beliefs. Some will say that the picture of the Comanches is biassed. Some will say the same about the Mexicans. But just the same some will be able to make the very same remark about the Texians. Texas will be born a nation through a difficult delivery that will imply a deadly war that will have to eliminate the losing sides. The side that will be eliminated completely is the Comanches. But the others, even the winning Texians, will not be spared quite a lot of blood. Thus the book seems to be balanced. The last remark will be about the psychology of the characters. It is detailed, very precise and rich. It mixes all levels of a man's or woman's personality : his or her culture, his or her past, his or her future, his or her feelings and reactions to events, his or her dreams and visions. What emerges at the end of this long novel is a fantastic and even magical picture of Texas and its natural setting with all its animals, including human animals, if not at times beasts. Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, Paris Universities II and IX
Rating:
Summary: A Texas Thriller--not to be missed!
Review: David Marion Wilkinson's "Not Between Brothers" is at once absorbing and at the same time fascinating. This is a thorough story of Texas, or rather, a story of a slice of Texas. It is done with precision, depth, and a dedication to its purpose. Additionally, Mr. Wilkinson does not try to be a "chauvinistic Texan" and paint only the "boasts" that this state is sometimes known for. His intriguing characters come to us, warts and all,and we are the better for it. The author does not seem to want to give us a story of a state through rose colored glasses; he seems intent upon actually telling a story, one that is believable, sensitive, viable--one that will stay with us. He has succeeded. To say I enjoyed this book is an understatement. I look forward to his continued writings, whether it's about Texas or not!
Rating:
Summary: Not Between Brothers by David M. Wilkinson
Review: I love Mr. Wilkinson's writing style. Incredible descriptions of characters and environment. I quickly fell in love with the characters and learned more about Texas history than I had in school! There are many short chapters which made it easy to pick it up whenver I had a minute to spare. Not Between Brothers created a realistic window into Texas - the savagery of the Indians, the plague of the white settlers and pride of the Mexicans who settled Texas. I will be ordering the next Wilkinson book immediately.
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Summary: taco thoughts
Review: Remy Fuqua is a crossbred Anglo orphan - disadvantaged and cheated from the start. This book follows Remy from that beginning, through his victories and defeats in marriage to a disapproving wealthy Mexican's daughter, through his and their wars of will and survival with a Comanche warrior, through clashes of cultures and varying moralities. The novel transpires in the unique borderland region of Texas and Mexico, which at the time neither country truly held; the conflicts presented are brutally honest and thoroughly engaging. Wilkinson is a gifted storyteller: politically incorrect, detailed, precise. He has been recognized grandly for this effort - Not Between Brothers won the Violet Crown Award, it was a finalist for the 1996 Spur Award for Best Novel of the West, it is recognized as an Editor's Choice by the Review of Texas Books - ... I must tell you that this novel is definitely one of my favorites. It is a must-read! This book gripped me from beginning to end - I recommend it to all of you, my brothers.
Rating:
Summary: A book you won't soon forget!
Review: Texas is a huge state with a rich multicultural heritage. It takes a real tour de force, such as David Marion Wilkinson's "Not Between Brothers" to do it justice. In this epic view of Texas history, Wilkinson uses fictional characters Remy Fuqua and Comanche Indian Kills White Bear to tell the story of life on the frontier between the years 1816 and 1861. Remy is a Scotch-Irish orphan who grows up in Louisiana and is permanently scarred by his unhappy childhood. He carries a "never-say-die" attitude and a quick temper throughout his life. Kills White Bear is a Comanche warrior who nurtures a hatred for the white people whose diseases rob him of many of his loved ones. Remy and his cousin move to Texas where they negotiate a piece of land from Stephen F. Austin. Remy meets and falls in love with a beautiful, wealthy Mexican woman, and this causes problems for both of them throughout the rest of their lives. Remy and Kills Bear's lives weave their separate paths until at last they intersect, with predictable dire consequences for both of them. Wilkinson's wonderful prose and unforgettable characters make for an excellent read. He weaves in a lot of history and the reader is treated to up-close looks at Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston, Jim Bowie, and others who are painted in wonderful shades of gray and who are not made to look like saints. For anyone who enjoys historical fiction or who has an interest in Texas, this is highly recommended reading.
Rating:
Summary: A book you won't soon forget!
Review: Texas is a huge state with a rich multicultural heritage. It takes a real tour de force, such as David Marion Wilkinson's "Not Between Brothers" to do it justice. In this epic view of Texas history, Wilkinson uses fictional characters Remy Fuqua and Comanche Indian Kills White Bear to tell the story of life on the frontier between the years 1816 and 1861. Remy is a Scotch-Irish orphan who grows up in Louisiana and is permanently scarred by his unhappy childhood. He carries a "never-say-die" attitude and a quick temper throughout his life. Kills White Bear is a Comanche warrior who nurtures a hatred for the white people whose diseases rob him of many of his loved ones. Remy and his cousin move to Texas where they negotiate a piece of land from Stephen F. Austin. Remy meets and falls in love with a beautiful, wealthy Mexican woman, and this causes problems for both of them throughout the rest of their lives. Remy and Kills Bear's lives weave their separate paths until at last they intersect, with predictable dire consequences for both of them. Wilkinson's wonderful prose and unforgettable characters make for an excellent read. He weaves in a lot of history and the reader is treated to up-close looks at Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston, Jim Bowie, and others who are painted in wonderful shades of gray and who are not made to look like saints. For anyone who enjoys historical fiction or who has an interest in Texas, this is highly recommended reading.
Rating:
Summary: Read it!
Review: There's real blood in this 'un. Read it and enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Superb Novel
Review: This is a superb novel about the early days of Texas, from 1816 to 1861. The central character is Remy Fuqua, who as a young man migrates to Texas. A major theme of the novel is Fuqua's relationship with a Comanche warrior, Kills White Bear, who is about the same age and whose path crosses Fuqua's in myriad ways throughout the course of the story. Wilkinson does a great job of telling an absorbing story--it captivated me right off and held my attention throughout all 672 pages (in the hardback edition). The book is informative as well as entertaining. Wilkinson has obviously gone to a lot of trouble to make sure he portrays the era with historical accuracy. Since the book is a novel, much of it is not literally true, but it does an excellent job of faithfully portraying the times. Wilkinson weaves together the influences of three cultures which intersected in Texas during its formative years: the American, the Indian, and the Mexican. Wilkinson avoids the simplicity of political correctness while portraying each of the protagonists in such a way that the reader has empathy for each. No other novel does as good a job as this one in making the early days of Texas come alive. It is far superior, for example, to James Michener's Texas. If you read but one novel about early Texas history, this is the one.
Rating:
Summary: Experience Early Texas Life From Three Perspectives
Review: Through the captivating reading of a fictional tale, "Not Between Brothers" gives the reader an understanding of Texas life from the early days of Stephen Austin's Colony of Anglo settlers to the beginning of the Civil War (1816-1861). Based on historical research and "for historical accuracy first and foremost", the author provides an unromaticized perspective of Tejano ranchers, Anglo settlers and Comanche warriors and the clash of these three proud societies. Read the author's Amazon.com posting to understand the intent of this book and his desire to portray the characters "warts and all". For it is this more realistic and human portrayal of the three different cultures that defined Texas that make this book an award winner. Experience the history of Texas from the perspectives of fictional early settler Remy Fuqua, his Tejano wife, rancher father-in-law and vaqueros, and Comanche warrior Kills White Bear-their values, aspirations, attitudes toward each other and motivations for dramatic actions during these formative years in Texas and American history. The book will give you the easy reading escape of a good novel while stimulating your thinking and awareness of our heritage.
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