Time never runs back a novel

this twisting tale, the sequel to the author’s “ring around the sun,” takes coot boldtand narlow montgomery back to their childhood in the wilds of the tularosabasin of southern new mexico territory and west texas. the story tracks theirdays tending papa’s goats, and narlow’s war with his copper-lined, half-paleeye-half-comanche mama. the boys lived with the apaches for two years wherenarlow studied the mysteries of the medicineman. as young men, they enjoyedsuccesses in ranching and land sales in el paso, a dusty adobe village known for whiskey, shot-dead men on its streets,soiled doves, and rigged roulette wheels. both their marriages went sour, andthough coot went on, narlow was stuck with a wife who never allowed theconsummation of their vows. all those months narlow brushed off coot’s adviceto take up with a widow-lady, but during a trip to san francisco, he fell intothe clutches of a wealthy actress who demanded that he return home and divorcehis wife. he refused, though he did return to el paso and become the towndrunk. finally, he was convinced by his father and coot to seek the solitude ofa cave where, as a child, he had played with his father, a man who madesawhorses with straw-stuffed sock heads, eyes drawn with charcoal, and read thegreat books to his son. narlow won his battle over the bottle. includes readersguide.