BULL BY THE HORNS

In Higgs’ debut modern-day Western novella, two young Oklahoman brothers must transport a bull to a neighboring state and encounter unexpected danger.

Times are tough on the McConnell farm, as drought and hailstorms have ravaged their crops. Indeed, Robert and Rachel McConnell are one step away from foreclosure on their 320-acre ranch in Northeastern Oklahoma. They’re forced to sell their beloved purebred Hereford breed bull to satisfy the bank, and they find a buyer online who has one caveat: The animal must be delivered to Oscuro, New Mexico, in three days. Robert is injured trying to herd the animal into a trailer, so it falls upon their two sons, 20-year-old Tommy and 17-year-old Andy, to make the delivery. However, their journey is anything but straightforward. After the bull escapes from the trailer while the boys are changing a flat tire, local police and a TV news team unexpectedly get involved. Later, the siblings pick up Cassie Henshaw, a diner server who has dreams of making it big in Los Angeles; Andy saves her from an enraged chef at her job, and, from this beginning, Higgs delivers a sweet romance. (Although Tommy is reluctant to bring her along, Cassie later saves the day after Tommy loses his wallet.) Overall, the author delivers a feel-good Western that retains all the familiar hallmarks of that genre, but he places them alongside present-day obstacles. The action effectively culminates in a theft that’s followed by an adrenaline-fueled chase, which ends in a rather lopsided shootout. Through it all, Higgs makes sure that the brothers' love for their family—and their determination to do what they must to keep their livelihood intact—shines through.

A coming-of-age tale with a dynamic pair of brothers and plenty of light action.