Dreams to Dust: A Tale of the Oklahoma Land Rush

The overnight birth of Guthrie, Oklahoma, and the ambitious dreamers who helped deliver it, are at the heart of this tale by an author who can turn a gritty phrase into poetry. The multitude of characters who weave their way throughout this story are presented with all the failings of those who rush to the opening of free land anywhere. Almost depressing in its portrayal of the crudeness and realities of life with lawyers, newspapermen, land-grabbers, whores, murderers, thieves, Indians, blacks, orphans and lonely women, the book is nevertheless irresistible and hard to put down. It’s an intriguing story with some earthy human insight and well worth the read. The single distraction in this historical novel is that if it wasn’t for the author’s note at the end of the book, you would never know what years this all takes place. —Chuck Lewis