This weekend I picked up a book at the library that had finally come in. I requested the book when I first heard about it and before the library had any copies.

The book is The Case of the Monster Fire by John R. Erickson and is #71 in the Hank the Cowdog series.

I have been slowly reading through the Hank the Cowdog series, but decided to jump to the most recent one since it is about events that effected many of my friends last year.

Last spring there were major wildfires in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas. See my post: Burning Kansas

I grew up near where John R. Erickson worked as a cowboy before moving to the Texas Panhandle and starting to write the Hank the Cowdog books. My home county in Kansas was greatly damaged by the wildfires and many of my friends are still in the recovery process. This book really hit home.

Erickson also lost his home and ranch in the fire so he is writing from personal experience in this book.

In this story Hank the Cowdog helps Slim Chance as he tries to save his herd of cattle. The story begins with Slim taking out a loan to buy cattle. Along with his girlfriend Viola they pasture the cattle on her father’s ranch. All is going great until the wildfire hits.

As mentioned on the back cover of the book it is a ‘hair-raising and heart-warming tale of cowboy-bravery, true heroism, and the blessings of friends and community!’

While reading the book memories came flooding back of working on a ranch when I was just out of high school. Memories also came back of what my friends went through last year. Some of my best friends from high school lost homes and cattle in the fires. But the best memories were of the outpouring of good will by farmers and rancher across the country as they sent feed and supplies to help in the rebuilding process.

Slim experiences the same outpouring of help after the fire and finds that he is not as alone as he sometimes thinks.

This is a great book and you will enjoy it even if you are not familiar with the Hank the Cowdog series. I really like this series as it brings back so many memories of growing up in ranch country.

Now to get some sleep to continue fighting jet lag. It has been a long day in the classroom.

Steven