West

Carys Davis' 'West' is the perfect illustration of the axiom 'less is more'. The Welsh author succeeds in creating a spellbinding miniature epic spanning only 149 pages. Set in nineteenth century America, 'West' is a tale of borderline foolhardy idealism which drives the English widower Cy Bellman to quit home and hearth in Pennsylvania to seek the improbable traces of giant monsters in the unsettled western frontier of America. Yet Davies tempers Bellman's folly with a dose of humanity, for the idealism animating the seeker's quest is also a profound feeling of paternal love for his only daughter patiently awaiting her father's return. A touching and though provoking story illustrating the rich tapestry of the human condition, both loving and cruel.