In Rescuing Crockett, author Daniel Pyke creates a history buff's dream by asking, "What if Davy Crockett survived the Battle of the Alamo?"
The story begins at an 1838 diplomatic event in Mexico City honoring the ambassador of Spain. The ambassador invites guests to view sketches of Mexico's people and places drawn during the diplomat's recent tour of Mexico. Created by an aide, one of the illustrations captures the attention of Powhatan Ellis, a U.S. envoy who was a friend of Crockett's.
Stunned by the drawing's strong resemblance to Crockett, Ellis is shocked to think the legend could be alive two years after the 1836 Alamo massacre. With a dozen questions racing through his mind, Ellis steals the sketch and plans to investigate whether Crockett survived the battle and is somewhere in Mexico.
Ellis enlists a mix of Texas Revolution heroes to determine if the unthinkable is true: Crockett is alive. Further, if he is alive, attempt a rescue. The Texians are Henry Wax Karnes, Juan Seguin, J.C. Neill, Sam McCulloch, Horace Alsbury, and Jacob Millsaps. Also joining them is 16-year-old Silas Grant, a friend of McCulloch's.
The group attempts to piece together clues by interviewing female battle survivors, including Susanna Dickinson, Eulalia Yorba, and Juana Navarro. They also track down Joe, a servant of William Travis, who was spared, and Rafael Vega, a former Mexican soldier.
Using eyewitness accounts of the battle and the aftermath, the Texians start to experience a flicker of hope about Crockett. From there, the covert operation pushes deep into Texas and eventually Mexico, where a brutal encounter with General Santa Anna awaits--one that will answer the Crockett mystery.
As a native Texan, I truly enjoyed reimagining Crockett's fate at the Alamo. The tale, as seen through the eyes of lesser-known heroes of the Texas Revolution, was a treat and spurred me to discover more about their roles in history. Many of his characters were actual persons, and kudos to Pyke for his research and for putting their contributions into perspective.
I also appreciated the description of geography and terrain, which helped to paint a more complete picture of the time and place. I rate the novel four stars. Although it's a historical novel, I felt like I was reading history.
I realize the author is working to establish young Silas Grant as a franchise character. However, he lacked the presence needed to stand next to real heroes. Pyke tries to increase his credibility with some action sequences, but those seem beyond the experience of his years. There is also a teen romance/sex interlude about halfway through the novel, which I found distracting.
Pyke is a fine writer with a good eye for detail and a good ear for dialogue. His research is impressive, and he loves the characters he writes about. Overall, fans of historical fiction and the Alamo will find Rescuing Crockett thrilling and a welcome addition to books about the iconic last stand and its heroes.
By the way, Crockett preferred David to Davy, so that you know.
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