Edgar: Companion to “Want To Go West Lady?”

Ben Steinlage
Outskirts Press (2010)
ISBN 9781432753764
Reviewed by Marissa Libbit for Reader Views (10/10)

 

“Edgar” by Ben Steinlage is the fictional tale of Edgar Buchanan from a young boy until adulthood.  As a boy he overhears visits between Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis with his father.  Edgar’s father sets his own slaves free.  Edgar develops friendships with some young freed slaves and grows up without prejudice helping slaves on the Underground Railroad.  He also has a friendship with neighbor girl Ida that keeps her close to his heart through future tough times. 

When the war begins he is given the task of carrying a special message North that he later believes to be a plot to assassinate Lincoln.  The war years are difficult and painful as one might suppose.  He sees much death and causes much death.  When reuniting with his true love, he tries to rebuild a new life and family, but the reconstruction years prove challenging in the South.  He continues his battle against prejudice by taking on the Klan.  His family finally makes a decision to head West in search of a better life, but the journey proves complicated. 

“Edgar” is said to be the companion to “Want to Go West Lady?” which I think follows the life of Edgar’s true love Ida after his death.  I did not read this first book.  “Edgar” undertakes the difficult task of following one man from youth through the Civil War into his quest to head West.  That is a lot of ground (literally and figuratively) to cover in less than 300 pages.  While the history fascinates me Mr. Steinlage failed to engage me in the characters.  To appreciate a story I need to know the characters better.  Edgar had some horrific things happen to his family, and as a result he did some horrific things to others.  However, I neither liked him nor disliked him.  I personally need to see more emotion and reaction to the things he saw and did rather than just immediately after the events, and in a book less than 300 pages that covers such a long span of time that task is difficult.  Another example is the character of Ida.  While Edgar thought of her often in the first half of the book, we really know little about her or the development of their relationship until right before they marry, so it’s hard to root for them without really caring about Ida first. 

I like this period in history.  I think it is quite fascinating and lends itself to interesting stories, but perhaps Mr. Steinlage can expound upon the characters more because I was left wanting more.  He has a nice start with “Edgar.”

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