My Books
Ancient Warrior:A Tale of Love, Loyalty, and Adventure
Ancient Warrior:
When the pup escaped from the cardboard box, which had been abandoned along the roadside, he began a journey that was destined to collide with Robert Lee, the old man in the barn. Robert was not partial to having pets, but some of the farm animals took a favorable interest in the pup, which convinced Robert he should keep it. After losing his wife three years earlier, Robert’s life became less than routine, each day was like the day before and the one before that. However, the fateful day the pup entered the dimly lit barn, Robert’s life began to fill with excitement and love, the very things that had been missing since his sweet wife Nellie passed.
When the dog suffered a potential life-ending injury, Robert reached out for help from Joseph and Jennie Weaver, a local Navajo family, where Jennie was known as a healer. The friendship that followed, and the dog’s protective and loving nature, led to the dog receiving the honored and revered Navajo name, which, when translated, meant Ancient Warrior protector of life. When Robert died, the dog continued to stand guard over his master while facing imminent death at the hands of the law, but with the help of a neighbor, Joseph came to its rescue. As companions, love, and devotion flourished between the dog and his new master which opened a new door of excitement and adventure for both of them. When attacked by wild beasts while on his trap line and high mountain camping trips, the dog’s unwavering courage stood between the attacking beasts and his beloved master, even the icy hands of death could not keep the dog from protecting the Indian family. Then, Joseph did the unthinkable, which laid raw the emotions and deep love the Indian master had for his devoted friend, Ancient Warrior.
“Ancient Warrior, protector of Life” is the prequel to the author’s earlier nonfiction book entitled, “His Name is Guck,” a story of a boy and his dog. Similar to stories by Jack London, the author weaves a tale that transports an audience to the natural world and the characters who inhabit it. Landon’s characters all connect through the travels of a lost pup who narrowly escapes the hardships of abandonment, and near-death by multiple calamities. Hard work, poverty, family, and life’s fragile finality are all expressed in the character’s interactions and actions. Ancient Warrior follows Joseph through the beauty of the wilderness and the hardships of railroad work camps, but the amazing dog cannot follow Joseph to the Second World War where Joseph lives the important and dangerous role of a code talker for the United States military. Action abounds throughout the novel and is elevated by the importance of family and the bond between a dog and its master.
Health and healing are revealed through time, care, and basic acts of kindness in Landon’s stories. Families respect their elders and care for their children. Neighbors watch out for one another and animals add vibrancy to the day-to-day duties and surprises. Farm animals and wild animals such as foxes, bears, and a mountain lion provide enough action and real excitement to keep every member of the family reading, reacting, and reliving the adventures of the Ancient Warrior. The brutalities of war, the limits, and advantages of language, and the intimate relationships between family and the natural world are all within Landon’s ability to create a great story. Ancient Warrior is a remarkable tale full of suspense, action, and feeling that is suitable for the entire family.
A Boy, His Dog, and a Promise: The story of Guck
His Name is Guck: A story of a boy and his dog
When Indian Joe gave the ten-year-old boy his dog, the dog’s gentle nature and zest for adventure fit right in with the boy’s Huck Finn lifestyle, they shared life’s challenges, excitement, conflict, joy, and multiple calamities until revenge took it all away. I was shivering while I sat on the ice-cold chopping block waiting for my brother Robert to see a few blocks of wood so I could begin splitting them. Unaware that something was approaching from behind, I was about to go into the warm house and wait for the blocks to pile up when a cold nose pushed its way into my armpit. Startled, I jumped to my feet and wheeled around to see the most beautiful Shepherd dog I had ever seen, standing before me with his tail swaying side to side. After I got Robert’s attention, he stopped sawing wood and came over to us. Not nearly as excited as me, he said he had seen the dog around before and believed he belonged to someone over at the railroad bunkhouse. I knelt and the dog gave me a friendly shake with his big paw. We saw a lot of him over the next two weeks and he even accompanied us on some errands. Having the dog around did not sit well with my mother, but Frank was the one it bothered the most. She was quick to let us know we should get rid of him, and that we were not going to have any more dogs. That statement was about to be tested.
We were dressed but had not eaten when a knock came on our door. It was a railroad supervisor, and he asked Robert and me to follow him to the bunkhouse, where he introduced us to Indian Joe, a handsome, well-built man in his early thirties, wearing a red and black checkered shirt while holding a sheepskin coat over his arm. His long black braids rested on his chest and were tied at the ends with small leather thongs. Unnoticed until he licked my hand, the dog passed behind us and moved to Joe’s side. Joe knelt and placed an arm around him. With emotion in his voice, he asked if we liked the dog. We assured him we did. He said he believed the dog liked us too. What he said next, caused me to shake with excitement. “If you promise to take good care of him, I would like you to have him, will you do that? While Robert agreed, I was vigorously shaking my head yes. Joe turned his attention to the dog and using his left hand he held the dog’s head up and said his goodbye with his eyes. At a loss for words, Joe stood, and using the collar, he pulled the dog toward Robert and motioned with his head that Robert should take him. As soon as Robert took hold of the collar, Joe turned quickly and left the room with us following. He boarded the motorcar that set idling on the tracks while we walked around the corner of the house.
Robert stopped and turned to face Joe and shouted, “Hey mister, what’s his name?” “Guck,” Joe answered. “What?” Robert shouted. “Guck,” Joe repeated. Again, Robert asked, “Did you say, Guck?” And Joe’s answer was the same “Yes, his name is Guck.” After the exchange, the motorcar pulled away and Guck would never see his Indian Master again. We could tell that the parting was very emotional for Joe and it appeared just as difficult for Guck. With Robert and Joe shouting his name back and forth, Guck tried his best to break free of our hold on the collar. Once the motorcar was out of sight, Guck settled down and stood to stare in the direction of the tracks, while the sound of the motorcar faded from our ears. A long mournful whine escaped his lips, which brought a lump to my throat. On the way home, we discussed how we might approach Mom about keeping Guck, and talk to her without our step-father present, which didn’t happen. After we explained what had happened with Indian Joe, Robert gave his best argument, which seemed to fall on deaf ears. With the chance of keeping Guck slipping away, I began pleading at my highest level while promising to do anything. Just as Frank tried to put a stop to it, mom relented. In the years that followed, we learned that Guck was extraordinary, as you will see.