Praise for Wolves at the Door
“This is a heartfelt family story, interwoven with 19th Century Western American history.”—Denver Post
“Chown describes the beauty, hardships and spirituality of frontier Kansas.”—Weatherford (OK) Daily News
“Wolves at the Door depicts similar histories of early settlement all over Kansas and Colorado, and similar to the story of a thousand other western pioneers. Read this book for both the family history and the larger background of those times.”—Stillwater (OK) News-Press
“A really good book to put on your ‘must read’ list…chock full of history about Kansas and Indian Territory. It’s a good read and I’m looking forward to the next installment (Full Circle)—Elk Citian (OK)
“Chown weaves storytelling with history, folk customs, humor and language. In Wolves at the Door we get the first installment of a family saga told by a good storyteller.”—Oklahoman (OK City)
“The language used in the novel is full of slang and picturesque terms. It adds to the quaintness and comedy of ranching and family life. All episodes feel original and personal, never formulaic.”—Emporia Gazette (KS)
“Chown has created this book using his own family story, as his forefathers traveled across Kansas and westward. While the stories of bravery and mischief, stubbornness and sacrifice may not have been specifically lived by the Chown family members, they could have been.”—The Chanute Tribune
“The study of his own family’s history inspired Chown to create the fictional Devon family saga, a trilogy beginning in the pioneer days of 1860’s Kansas and eventually leading up to present day.”—Kiowa News
“Thomas Chown’s first novel, Wolves at the Door, masterfully blends a heartwarming family saga with the gritty reality of moving across country by wagon in the 1800’s. Personally, he had me by page three of the Prologue…Chown describes the wagon train in such detail the reader can almost smell the horseflesh, hear the creak of leather cinches and the clank of pots and pans…a gamut of emotions: sadness, laughter, anger and contentment. Chown weaves fact and fiction into a thoroughly enjoyable tome’.—Neosho Daily News (MO)
“Wolves at the Door” taps into his own family’s history to pen the engaging saga of homesteading across Kansas and Colorado in the 1800’s.—Columbia Daily News (MO)
“…a fictionalized look at Chown’s real Kansas ancestors and the stories of their adventures handed down through the generations. Its about a large family farming near Ft. Scott after the Civil War. Various adventures and tragedies are written up on the farm with dialogue that is quite good, and tall-tales plains stories that are a bit raw and aw-shucks funny.”—Lincoln Journal Star (NE)
“Chown’s female characters are notable for their strength and dignity as they face the hardships of frontier life and their husbands’ wanderlust. The author’s great sense of humor lightens the pain and difficulties.”—Ocala Star-Banner (FL)
“Chown paints a compelling and interesting picture of frontier life in this novel. Readers will admire Henry Devon as he learns to respect the conquered and despairing Indians. They will enjoy snippets and anecdotes of the Devon family life which is laced with humor, typical family arguments and love juxtaposed against a backdrop of blood, battles, constant jeopardy and the determination to survive…interspersed with tidbits of history. This book is not for readers looking for a quick down-and-dirty read. However, those who value history-particularly western history- will find this an enjoyable read.”—Fort Myers Florida Weekly (FL)
“Tom Chown has taken his family genealogy to a new level, penning a novel consisting of fictional characters, though loosely based on his own ancestory, through a time in US history called ‘Bleeding Kansas’. The novel begins with a gruesome battle scene and seques into the Devon family’s quest to homestead land in the mid-west.”—The Franklin Press (NC)
“The cover title is both literal and figurative. Homestead families had to contend with actual wolfpacks, but figurative wolves in the form of storms, drought, disease and other hardships sometimes called for a family to move on to ‘keep the wolves away from the door’.”—Smokey Mountain News (NC)
Early Praise for Full Circle (available in Summer, 2011)
“Both Wolves at the Door and now Full Circle are historical novels that provide an insight into the settling of the plains and early years of the 20th century. Because the books are based on the author’s own family stories, they have a resonance not found in other examples of the genre. Tom Chown has done significant research into the settings, the events and other culture of the times in order to make his novelized family history as authentic as possible.
“Wolves at the Door begins with the Civil War Battle of Westport, in what is now Kansas City, Missouri. Henry Devon, based on the author’s great grandfather, is a Jayhawker from ‘Bloody Kansas’. Following the war, Henry and wife Tamsen settle in ft. Scott, Kansas, where they farm and raise a family. When the oldest children are grown the family moves west to Kiowa, Kansas. One final move brings the Devons to LaJunta, Colorado.
“Full Circle carries the story forward from 1904, with the youngest son Tom and his wife Catherine as the principal characters. Catherine was a Harvey Girl, a waitress for the famous chain of restaurants and inns on the Santa Fe railway. Tom is an engineer and now works with the coal mining companies in the Madrid area of New Mexico. The young family’s struggles with the harshness and violence of the area force a difficult decision: to move to Wisconsin, Catherine’s home, and start a new life. The Devons leave Colorado and drive northeast to Milwaukee, a trip full of adventures as memorable as the covered wagon treks across Kansas.
“Once settled in the city, our family of four faces new trials and triumphs. A smallpox epidemic changes life for all, and new relationships bloom. Tom and Catherine’s children, Walter and Marion, grow up and the new generation thrives.
“A big part of the charm of these books is the language. Chown flavors his dialogue with slang and humor. The characters are realistic, with both admirable qualities and flaws. Readers will care about the Devons and their stories. Some may even be inspired to pursue their own family histories. Having lived in both Kansas and Milwaukee, two of the settings in these novels, I was especially drawn to how these areas were portrayed. I was impressed with the specific details of Milwaukee that were included. To enhance my reading, I did my own research on the places and events described, using maps and encyclopedias. The total experience leaves me anxiously awaiting the final volume in the trilogy.”—Ms. Sue Blechl, Director, Emporia (KS) Public Library (5/17/09)
“As announced with the publishing of Wolves at the Door, the story of the Devon family would be told in a series of works. Full Circle is the second in the series. The first book encompassed the lives of Henry and Tamsen Devon as they made their way west. Full Circle continues the family’s story, but now it focuses on Henry and Tamsen’s son,Tom. Although Full Circle reflects many of the literary features of Wolves at the Door, the reader is treated to life in Colorado and the west from the 1880’s to 1944 as experienced by Thomas and Catherine Devon, along with their two children, Wally and Marion. Chown, through the use of descriptive dialogue, provides the reader a chronology of the Devons lives as well as American history as seen through their eyes. Drama, humor and challenges are part of everyday life for the Devons.
“Tom works as an engineer in the early days of mining in Colorado. This profession brings with it a number of challenges. Tom, along with his young family, is forced to live in the mining towns where he is sent by his company. Hatred, fear, violence, murder and injustice are all witnessed by Tom. Although he abhors what he witnesses, he can do little to combat it. His family’s wellbeing is his main concern. Tom is an avid reader of newspapers so through them the reader learns about the news (history) taking place.
“Two children are born to Tom and his wife Catherine. First, a boy who is lovingly called Wally; next a girl named Marion. As the children grow, we observe intimate experiences the family encounters, some humorous, some not. For example, a youthful Wally was duped by some older boys in town into placing his tongue on a cold pipe where it stayed until Tom came to free him. We realize that the mantel of family leadership will eventually pass from Tom to Wally.
“Full Circle is an extremely well-written book that incorporates the story of a family, the Devons, as well as the story of America. As the Devon family grows we see America grow through inventions like the automobile, airplane, telephone and even the early stages of television. We also learn of the social strife and challenge to obtain a paradigm for the story in a variety of interesting and thought-provoking ways. A great read.
—Dr. Paul Lehman, Professor of English Literature (retired) @ University of Central Oklahoma as reviewed for the Oklahoma City Oklahoman
