Lonesome Dove Readalong - Chapters 21 -30

This weeks questions are provided by Melissa from Gerbera Daisy Diaries and if you'd like to see her answers, as well as Amy's and Leah's, please visit My Friend Amy.

1) Xavier issues an impassioned plea to Lorena to stay in Lonesome Dove and marry him. Do you think his motives are sincere? Or is he doing it for business? Also, here is another chance for Lorena to bypass the cattle drive and go directly to San Francisco (which we are to believe is her goal), but yet she turns it down. Why?


I don't know what to think about this whole scene. It actually was very surprising and a little bit confusing that Xavier reacted so strongly to Lorena's leaving. I suppose his motives may have been sincere and he simply never really expected Lori to leave. That's probably why he waited until the last minute. His crying and begging were probably due to the overall shock at the whole situation. Let's face it, the cattle crew's lives are not the only ones changing. Once they all leave, Lonesome Dove will never be the same either and Xavier isn't very partial to change. I want to believe he did care for Lorena but never had to reveal his feelings since she was staying right under his roof and he believed that it would never change. As far as Lorena's decision goes, I think it's partly due to her not wanting to take any more chances with men promising her better future (she did get burned a couple of times there) and part her unwillingness to possibly spend the rest of her life with a man she wasn't physically attracted to (she is a young, beautiful woman and has a right to try and choose who she wants to be with).


2) We are shown Newt’s inexperience and youth when he asks, “how far is it, up north?” To which Captain Call responds, “it’s a ways farther than you’ve been.” But the reader is privy to Call’s internal thoughts that reflect more directly on Gus:

It struck Call that they should have educated the boy a little better. He seemed to think north was a place, not just a direction. It was another of Gus’s failings – he considered himself a great educator, but yet he rarely told anyone anything they needed to know.

What do you think about Call’s assessment of Gus? Any thoughts?


I don't really have many thoughts on this one. Both Gus and Call are sort of enigmas to me still and I don't know what to think of either of them, although it seems as if they are perceived by others, specifically residents of Fort Smith, as some king of legendary and dangerous Rangers. I guess Call feels disappointed with Gus a little and maybe a little tired of him as well. This journey to Montana is a big undertaking and call may just be feeling stressed and frustrated.


3) We finally see the flip side of Jake’s story– Ft. Smith, Arkansas – what do you think of July? Roscoe? Elmira? Peach?

First of all, I think this part of the book was actually pretty funny, especially the scene were Peach wrings the rooster's neck while telling July to go and look for Jake. I guess, if nothing else, this was the convincing factor for July. I didn't warm up much to Elmira. I think she's selfish, despite what had happened to her before she married July. It still didn't give her the right to deceive and use him the way she did and then abandon her own son in search for her own adventure. Personally, I like Roscoe the most, I think he will catch up with the crew and fit right in with Gus and Call, Gus especially.