The Trackers

I picked this up on a whim, mostly because I wanted a piece of fiction to read, but also because I find the time period fascinating. The history of the West from about 1890 to 1940 has always drawn my attention. 

I’ve never read Charles Frazier before, although he’s been recommended to me in the past. Specifically for Cold Mountain, but I have no interest in Civil War stories, so I never picked it up. After reading The Trackers, I can say he deserves his accolades. 

The book itself was exceptionally well written. Frazier is undeniably talented and his preparation is beyond reproach. There is a staggering amount of detail in his work, almost to the point that it becomes overwhelming. Although some readers may find that exhausting, I think it’s wholly necessary given the expanse of the subject matter. The Great Depression was a pivotal moment in American history and not being thorough and accurate when discussing it would do a disservice to the millions of Americans that were directly impacted during that tumultuous time.

And that impact was no more profound than on the youngest of the population. Countless numbers of children were forced from their homes to search for work to help support their struggling families. Boys and girls that were forever robbed of their innocence. Compromised in unimaginable ways as they crisscrossed a dilapidated country, riding the rails, huddled in boxcars while scrounging for food and shelter in shanty towns at every stop in between.

Frazier translates those horrible experiences through, Eve, a former tramp who was able to find her footing again after years of wandering aimlessly on the road. Her trauma is on full display throughout the novel and is the impetus for the storyline. Even after she’s navigated her life to a place of prosperity via her marriage to John Long, a wealthy Wyoming rancher,  she still can’t seem to find peace. This leads her to uproot herself once more and hit the road. Long then hires Val, a young painter working to complete a mural at the local post office as part of the New Deal to track her down and bring her home.

Val’s subsequent travels continue to put focus on the condition of the nation at the time, still reeling from the crash. I appreciated Frazier’s commitment to continually allow the historical context of the Depression to impact the story as Val traveled around the country searching for Eve. The severity of the event was never obfuscated by the details of the plot. It only added to the direness of the story.

I won’t give anything further away, but this novel impacted me quite a bit, especially as a father. I can’t imagine my children being victimized by such an event as The Great Depression. It seems unconscionable that Americans were ever forced to make such terrible choices. One would hope that we’ve learned from those mistakes, but I find it difficult to avoid comparisons to today’s world. There were a number of historical events surfaced by Frazier in the book that eerily mimic current events. So much so, that the hair on the back of my neck stood on end as I was reading.