A review by pwbalto
Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson

3.0

I am pretty close to loving this book. I love that Bass Reeves was a real guy, a tall black man with a bushy mustache and a deputy's star, way back when in Indian Territory. Roustin' outlaws and all that. I love that this story shows the flip side of Little House on the Prairie. And MOST of the time, I love the tone. I love the swagger of the Western lingo the author is setting down. But she's inconsistent in its use, and some of the now-obscure terms (Bass Reeves is said to have "forked" his horse, which means that he sat on it) that she uses, which are helpfully explained in a glossary, are not bolded in the text, which means you have no idea that any help is on offer.

I am also not wild about the illustrations. The painterly, rough style works in some places but makes the pictures hard to read in others. The palette is also, I think, unnecessarily muddy. LOVE the cover though.

All praise to Vaunda Micheaux Nelson for bringing us this terrific story. I hate to say a word agin' it.