Reviewed by Jo Rogers, MyShelf.com
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THE KID and THE BIG HUNT are but two of the stories from THE TONTO WOMAN AND OTHER WESTERN STORIES.  In these two stories, the first of four volumes, Elmore Leonard is in top form as he spins two classic western tales.  Aided by the superb reading skills of Brian Dennehy and Live Schrieber, whose voices are perfect for these stories, the old west comes alive in the listener's mind.

THE KID is the story of a young boy who is found by Max Rupper, a vicious, greedy man who makes his living breaking horses.  He virtually kidnaps and enslaves the boy, but meets justice, in the end.

THE BIG HUNT is the story of Will Gordon, buffalo hunter, who kills for the hides.  He would not be well liked or gain much sympathy today, when the fact that we have precious few buffalo left is the result of his work, and the work of others like him.  Still, one cannot help but sympathize with him for the problems he has with the crooked hide buyers, the Foss brothers.

As I have stated before, I am not a great fan of the western genre.  But I did enjoy these classic stories, each with right triumphing over wrong. The methods were violent, true to form in one of the most violent eras in our history.  For the true western fan, these stories are a perfect way to while away a long summer afternoon.

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