Stephen Harrigan, Remember Ben Clayton

Remember Ben Clayton

Stephen Harrigan

Knopf, May 24 2011, $26.95

ISBN: 9780307265814

Ben Clayton died in France during WW I. His grieving father, Texas rancher Lamar wants to honor his beloved late child so he decides to hire a sculptor to create a statue paying homage to Ben. Lamar hires New York renowned artist Gil Gilheaney.

Gil arrives at the Clayton ranch near San Antonio accompanied by his assistant his daughter Maureen. He researches the lives of father and son as he believes his masterpiece will come from understanding the Clayton family. To his surprise and joy, Gil learns the Comanche kidnapped and raised Lamar and his sister while Indians also massacred the housekeeper. At the same time Maureen feels stifled by her father as she wants to do her own projects.

This dark historical thriller focuses on death and violence more so than the making of a bronze statue; though both sides add up to a great tale. The war to end wars may be over, but the mental and physical aftermath haunt the survivors like the father whose son died and the disfigured soldier who would have preferred to have died along side of his late comrade in arms Ben. Gruesome (warning not to eat just prior to the calf scene), Stephen Harrigan argues that by our despairing need to remember our Ben Clayton, we honor our hopelessness that everyone faces a final act.

Harrier Klausner