The Last American Cowboy - Tapa dura

This book details the story of a young man, a fictional character, Clem Barnett, during the late 1940's and 1950's, raised as a boy in the mid-west with dreams and visions, based on romantic books and movies, of being a cowboy in the West. He finds himself venturing far from his home in northeastern Oklahoma to hire-out on two very different ranches; first, one in Montana and later, one in Idaho. There, he learns about ranching, the cattle business, and most importantly, about life. He also learns what the modern, for the time period, cowboy is and how it differs greatly from his romantic vision. He faces many adventures and interacts with a host of colorful characters in search of his dreams. Because the story occurs in the early 1950's, the young man is faced with the horrors of participating in the Korean War, and more importantly, facing the emotional effects thereafter. Unlikely characters assist in his recovery and he gains respect and love for the people of the Basque culture who helped him. The story ends with a simple love story and a realization that dreams can be elusive. In the end, he finds peace and happiness and seems to come close to living the life of the romantic cowboy he envisioned. Others see in him a person who so loves the life of a cowboy and confers upon him the title of the last romantic, real life, American Cowboy.