Saffire by Sigmund Brower is a novel that takes place in the
early 1900s at the Panama Canal. It was a rough and tumble place, full
of seedy characters and the main character, James Holt, fits right in.
Formerly a cowboy in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, he is now a widowed
father who enjoys a quiet life on a cattle ranch in the Dakotas. When
President Teddy Roosevelt, a longtime friend, sends him on a secret
mission to Panama, he embarks on an adventure fraught with danger and
intrigue. Upon arriving in Panama City, he meets a young girl named
Saffire, whose mother has disappeared. Local authorities claim she ran
away, but Saffire is not convinced and will not give up trying to find out what happened to her mother.
James
becomes involved in Saffire's search, trying himself to discover the
details surrounding her mother's disappearance. He ends up angering some
of the native folks, who don't want a foreigner poking around in their
business. There are bar fights, gun fights, fist fights and even
torture in this story. I would have to say, despite a little romance
between James and a local woman he meets named Raquel, that this story
is one that men would enjoy more than women. I had a hard time following
the plot at times and really didn't like all the fighting and gritty adventure.
Saffire is
billed as Historical Christian fiction. It is indeed historical and
gives lots of details about building the Panama Canal, including much of
the political goings on of that day. It is also fiction, although
based on many actual events and people. I have a very hard time
however, calling it Christian. I only remember one vague reference to
God when James visits a dying man and the man asks James to pray for
him.
Although well written, I just didn't enjoy the book very much. I do like
historical fiction, but I guess I'm not that interested in the wild west
type adventure. I received this book from the publisher in exchange
for my honest review.
