American-Manifesto.com In Defense of American Exceptionalism

I just read a fine novel and, while I don’t typically review books on this blog, it is a great fit.  The book is Apacheria by William Altimari (full disclosure: he is a family friend).  But rather than discuss the characters and plot, which are engaging and brisk paced respectively, I’m going to focus on some themes that are germane to this blog. 

Apacheria is set in territorial Arizona in the waning days of the archetypal old west.  Recall that for all its cultural influence on us, the old west (in the mold of spaghetti westerns, Gun Smoke, Bonanza, etc.) only existed for at most a couple decades.  In many ways the era (High Wild West, if you will) is not just the setting of the book but its own character, and one that is aware of its own impending doom, no less.  I found myself reminded at times of the end of the Lord of the Rings trilogy when several of Tolkien’s beloved characters announce that their era is over and literally sail off into eternity.

In addition to the prominent roles that history and geography play, there were a number of themes in the book that should resonate with readers of this blog.

• rugged self-reliance
• an appreciation for what you have and the absence of self-pity
• sacrificing for the future
• recognition that actions have consequences
• know-it-all, elitist twits who live safe from the harsh realities of the world and want to force everyone else, regardless of circumstances, to adopt their preferences

These get a hardy amen!

I should mention a couple points where I thought the book could have been improved though.  Despite the prominent role that history and the desert southwest geography play, I thought the book perhaps assumed too much knowledge on the part of the reader at times.  Even with the details already in it, the book would have benefited from further elaboration of some of the history particularly.  But I will admit you would be hard pressed to get too much history into it for my taste, so I may not be the best judge there.

The other point to make is that many of the characters are a bit stereotyped.  There’s the noble savage, the soldier who has seen it all but is still dashing and valiant and the wise-for-her-age girl to name a few.  On the other hand, isn’t that one of the joys of a good western?  The good guys wear white, the bad guys are in black and get what they deserve in the end.

When you come right down to it, if you are a post-modernist (and if you’re reading this blog I doubt you are) who likes his heroes flawed, his truths in smudged shades of gray and his language scrubbed of anything politically incorrect this book will give you an ulcer.  But for the rest of us who are willing to accept the past for what it is without gnashing our teeth, it is a thoroughly enjoyable read.