Title: Cowboy and Indian
Author: Darryl Sollerh
Publisher: Del Oro Company
ISBN: 978-0-9887254-9-2
Pages: 106, Paperback/Kindle
Genre: Romance/Fiction
Reviewed by: Andrew Mayer, Pacific Book Review
Book Review
Darryl Sollerh has written a unique but poignant novel titled, Cowboy and Indian about two cultures meeting and clashing in America and India: American Southwest and South India subcontinent. Despite the serious difficulties in presenting a “love story” of such international distance, Sollerh is able to breathe life into context by developing strong characters, which flesh out the details and variances of the two cultures.Looking at the novel as a whole, the hero, Billy Wilks, finds himself with broken legs after a rodeo accident, and later a car crash. It happens his nurse is from Goa, South India. He needs physical therapy, and her friend from Goa, Mira, is a physical therapist. From this point on, the author develops relationships that shadow the differences of the cultures and the degree of difficulty of romance happening under these circumstances. Plot twists due to visa and passport issues, a hasty trip to India by Billy “searching” for Mira and conflicts with her family make the reader believe things might not work out. But, in a final twist, Mira finds Billy and a wonderful sequence of events unfold.
Also of interest is the author’s development of secondary characters. For example, on Billy’s side, Ray and Kooch are loyal fellow ranch hands who step in without complaint when Billy breaks his legs. However, there are also characters who do Billy little credit: Dodger, his brother, who “invests” Billy’s money in the stock market but fails to “watch over” it, so when Billy needs it, it is gone. Sally is a hanger-on, who only shows interest in Billy when rumor has it he may file for accident insurance in the crash that broke his legs. On Mira’s side, her father and Cammell represent “old style” India- the father wants his daughter “in place at home” with a “good job”, with an “arranged professional marriage” (with Cammell) whom she rejects. Interestingly enough, her sister and mother side with her more when Billy arrives than does the father.
Finally, Billy begins to understand the variance of the two cultures when in Goa and exhibits a humanism that Mira’s father lacks. Ray does Billy the ultimate “favor” of marrying Mira, but it is to bring her back under proper visa requirements (in order for Billy and Mira to later marry).
Darryl Sollerh is to be commended for writing a novel of two cultures, American Southwest/cowboy and South India/Goa. The success of the story line with its powerful character emotions and attention to serious details bond the reader to the novel and its twists and turns with serious emotion give the reader a “rodeo run” for enjoyment. Darryl Sollerh writing is smooth and enticing. His conversations with the story flow and makes the reader feel like you’re right there listening in.
The book is highly recommended for the general fiction reading audience and is useful for those who desire an understanding the juxtaposition of the American Southwest and Indian subcontinent. I think most readers will find Cowboy and Indian by Darryl Sollerh to be a refreshing change from the norm.
