Not long ago Chris Bigelow questioned how a piece of Mark Twain's unfinished writing could have ended up in Utah to be finished by Lee Nelson at Council Press/Cedar Fort. Good question.

Lee read Mark Twain's unfinished piece in a 1968 Life Magazine in a BYU barbershop. Finally, this year (2003), in a handsome hardback novel, he has almost singlehandedly published "Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer Among the Indians."

Lee Nelson certainly knows how to weave a tale, something many stylists have difficulty doing. This book is the perfect undertaking for our Storm Testament "buffalo-ball-eating master" of western narrative. Actually, Lee is likely better prepared for this task than Mark Twain himself. Comfortable in the arena of western trails, horses, mules, back-packing, western and Indian life and lore, to say nothing of Mormon pioneer history, Lee spins a remarkable yarn.

Reading Mark Twain's first sixty-two pages was like rediscovering the writing of an old friend. Wonderful stuff. But the voice of Mark Twain is one of a kind. And though Lee Nelson continues the saga attempting to keep that voice, he lapses into too many present tense verbs, etc., and gets off of Twain's tone and touch quickly.

He handles the historical material well: Huck's meeting with Bill Hickman and Porter Rockwell, the introduction to Fort Bridger and Fort Supply at the time the Mormons were burning U.S. wagons to prevent the army from coming down to Salt Lake City. He says just enough about polygamy to turn Huck (and the reader) off, and just enough about liquor and slavery to let us know what really happened and why. Lee even invents a hilarious scenario in which Tom reads the Book of Mormon. The story of Peggy and her little sister stolen by the Indians, the discussion revolving upon her becoming "spoiled" all resonate with the kind of tongue-in-cheek jollity both Nelson and Twain delight in performing.

The speculation of anti-Mormon critics that he has added too much "Mormon" is just paltry opinion. The boys were in Mormon country, for goodness' sake! I was so grateful that Lee wrote the story instead of someone else! Even Twain would have invented some anti-Mormon scenario. It's Accurate for Mormons, and interesting to outsiders. Must be doing something right -- it sold 5,000 in the first month!

Except for the strained and overdone syle (and I admit it's a biggie), the book answers my needs to read something for the national market that is not anti-Mormon. Cheers to Lee Nelson who doesn't get many critical strokes, but deserves kudos for a great read! Marilyn Brown

[Marilyn Brown]