Wayfaring Stranger: A Novel
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- Create Date：2021-09-22 09:51:46
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：James Lee Burke
- ISBN：1982183446
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Summary
In his most ambitious work yet， New York Times bestseller James Lee Burke tells a classic American story through one man’s unforgettable life。
In 1934， sixteen-year-old Weldon Avery Holland happens upon infamous criminals Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow after one of their notorious armed robberies。 A confrontation with the outlaws ends with Weldon firing a gun， unsure whether it hit its mark。
Ten years later， Second Lieutenant Weldon Holland barely survives the Battle of the Bulge， in the process saving the lives of his sergeant， Hershel Pine， and a young Spanish prisoner of war， Rosita Lowenstein—a woman who holds the same romantic power over him as the strawberry blonde Bonnie Parker， and is equally mysterious。 The three return to Texas where Weldon and Hershel get in on the ground floor of the nascent oil business。
In just a few years’ time Weldon will spar with the jackals of the industry， rub shoulders with dangerous men， and win and lose fortunes twice over。 But it is the prospect of losing his one true love that will spur his most reckless act yet—one inspired by that encounter long ago with the outlaws of his youth。
A tender love story and pulse-pounding thriller， Wayfaring Stranger “is a sprawling historical epic full of courage and loyalty and optimism and good-heartedness that reads like an ode to the American Dream” （Benjamin Percy， Poets & Writers）。
In 1934， sixteen-year-old Weldon Avery Holland happens upon infamous criminals Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow after one of their notorious armed robberies。 A confrontation with the outlaws ends with Weldon firing a gun， unsure whether it hit its mark。
Ten years later， Second Lieutenant Weldon Holland barely survives the Battle of the Bulge， in the process saving the lives of his sergeant， Hershel Pine， and a young Spanish prisoner of war， Rosita Lowenstein—a woman who holds the same romantic power over him as the strawberry blonde Bonnie Parker， and is equally mysterious。 The three return to Texas where Weldon and Hershel get in on the ground floor of the nascent oil business。
In just a few years’ time Weldon will spar with the jackals of the industry， rub shoulders with dangerous men， and win and lose fortunes twice over。 But it is the prospect of losing his one true love that will spur his most reckless act yet—one inspired by that encounter long ago with the outlaws of his youth。
A tender love story and pulse-pounding thriller， Wayfaring Stranger “is a sprawling historical epic full of courage and loyalty and optimism and good-heartedness that reads like an ode to the American Dream” （Benjamin Percy， Poets & Writers）。
Reviews
David Crow
，
James Lee Burke writes powerful stories with language and scenes that are deeply absorbing， a rare gift that only the top writers possess。 The characters， Hershel and Linda Gail Pine， Weldon and Rosita Holland， their war experiences， and the evil men and women who stop at nothing to destroy them make for a powerful story。 Burke is one of the few who can keep the reader engaged until the last sentence。 I will read more of the writer。
betty harrington
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I've been a fan of Burke's books for years。 Love his descriptive style。 This book doesn't disappoint。 I've been a fan of Burke's books for years。 Love his descriptive style。 This book doesn't disappoint。 。。。more
Harm Wilkinson
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Masterful story telling James Lee Burke is our greatest writer of fiction。 His books keep me up until the wee hours every time。
Steve S
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Another well written book by James Lee Burke。 As usual wonderfully descriptive style where you can picture and at times sense the environment。 Personally I do tire of the constant introspection but it certainly adds to the development of the characters。
Ed Weaver
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Burke's BestGood read！！！Goodreads。 Good read。 This is Burkes best（that I have read）I've only read three。 But sure to read more。 Tin roof blow down was my first Burke's BestGood read！！！Goodreads。 Good read。 This is Burkes best（that I have read）I've only read three。 But sure to read more。 Tin roof blow down was my first 。。。more
Jim Coleman
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Very interesting。 I couldn't put it down。 Very interesting。 I couldn't put it down。 。。。more
Donald W。 Roberts
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A Time Travel for some of us。From my days as youth working on a south Texas gas pipe line to my travels through New Mexico and Colorado， James Lee Burke paints an image that I will always remember。
Patricia
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This is an extraordinary saga following 16-year-old Weldon Avery Holland from his close encounters with Bonnie and Clyde， to an even closer encounter with Death in the Battle of the Bulge， and worst of all， to his devastating encounters with some very powerful evil forces that envy his business success， his integrity， and his very admirable soul。 I read an author interview in which Mr。 Burke said this was his best book， and although I have only read two of his others， I can see why he should be This is an extraordinary saga following 16-year-old Weldon Avery Holland from his close encounters with Bonnie and Clyde， to an even closer encounter with Death in the Battle of the Bulge， and worst of all， to his devastating encounters with some very powerful evil forces that envy his business success， his integrity， and his very admirable soul。 I read an author interview in which Mr。 Burke said this was his best book， and although I have only read two of his others， I can see why he should be so proud of this accomplishment。 This prose is a pleasure to read。 The characters are vital and believable。 The plot is complex and compelling， with never a dull moment。 It is a sweeping and dynamic story of America， warts and all。 This is listed as the first in the Holland family saga series and I look forward to more of the series。 。。。more
TXGAL1
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Oh my gosh…what a writer！！ To me， this book read like beautiful poetry although the subject was dark。THE WAYFARING STRANGER follows the life of Weldon Holland and his walk through it with honesty and grit。 A young man from Texas， Weldon lives with his grizzled grandfather until Weldon sets out to make his mark in the world。 Weldon’s path is interrupted by World War II and he experiences events that further shape him from boy to man。Post war， Weldon is on his way to making a name for himself in t Oh my gosh…what a writer！！ To me， this book read like beautiful poetry although the subject was dark。THE WAYFARING STRANGER follows the life of Weldon Holland and his walk through it with honesty and grit。 A young man from Texas， Weldon lives with his grizzled grandfather until Weldon sets out to make his mark in the world。 Weldon’s path is interrupted by World War II and he experiences events that further shape him from boy to man。Post war， Weldon is on his way to making a name for himself in the business world but will mean and evil good ol’ boys stand back and watch; or， will Weldon’s future be harshly challenged？😱🪓This book is FANTASTIC。 I hope you read it。 I definitely will be reading more of James Lee Burke’s books！ 。。。more
Nancy P
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Have never read James Lee Burke but can see why his work is so popular。 Despite the fact that the plot--with its complexities and penchant for some hard-to-believe coincidences--the characters are so vivid， the dialog so engaging， and the flat-out beautiful prose so mesmerizing I really could not stop reading。 His descriptions of weather--how it feels on the characters' skin--the beautiful and strange landscapes， and fine details like clothes and streetscapes bring the book to life in a way that Have never read James Lee Burke but can see why his work is so popular。 Despite the fact that the plot--with its complexities and penchant for some hard-to-believe coincidences--the characters are so vivid， the dialog so engaging， and the flat-out beautiful prose so mesmerizing I really could not stop reading。 His descriptions of weather--how it feels on the characters' skin--the beautiful and strange landscapes， and fine details like clothes and streetscapes bring the book to life in a way that negates any nagging thought that maybe things were unlikely to occur exactly as they do。 He sets the time and place of this novel so perfectly。 The relationship between Weldon and his grandfather was an ongoing thread that added a rich layer to the story。 America after the war is as much a character in this book as any of the people whose lives we enter。 And I loved all the literary references。 They didn't intrude but added to the richness of the novel。Weldon and Rosita are the kinds of people who stick with you long after the narrative is done。 Their commitment to each other， relationships with Herschel and Linda Gail and Roy， and all the truly awful people that populate the story are compelling。 I was ready to accept whatever was on the page and found myself diving in with an open mind and open heart。 Burke's ability to describe the people， landscape， the work on the pipeline， and the horrific and mind-blowing opening battles scenes were ultimately totally satisfying。 Like watching a great movie in my head！ 。。。more
Phyllis Edwards
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As usual， James Lee Burke hit it out of the ballpark。 He has to be one of the best writers of all time。 He's my favorite author and I've been reading since I was 3 yrs old。 James Lee Burke writes with a spiritual bent and paints his characters with a brush of realism; he makes them come alive。 You feel a connection to each one in their distinct ways， and you never forget them。Wayfaring Stranger is a story that resonated within me and kept me up late at night turning the pages。 Thank you for this As usual， James Lee Burke hit it out of the ballpark。 He has to be one of the best writers of all time。 He's my favorite author and I've been reading since I was 3 yrs old。 James Lee Burke writes with a spiritual bent and paints his characters with a brush of realism; he makes them come alive。 You feel a connection to each one in their distinct ways， and you never forget them。Wayfaring Stranger is a story that resonated within me and kept me up late at night turning the pages。 Thank you for this story。 。。。more
Linda
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I love the way James Lee Burke writes！ I can picture the characters as if I were in the room with them。 The narration of this book was also excellent！ My only nitpik is the way he pronounces pee-can
anonymousreader
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to-read
Barbara
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James Lee Burke is the king of simile and metaphor in crime fiction。 He almost had too many descriptive phrases in this older book。 Most of his audiobooks， this one included， are read by actor Will Patton who does a marvelous job voicing all of the characters。 The book description above is very accurate。 I might add that upon returning from World War II， the main character and his wife had to deal with the anti communist attitudes in America， with some people assuming that they were both communi James Lee Burke is the king of simile and metaphor in crime fiction。 He almost had too many descriptive phrases in this older book。 Most of his audiobooks， this one included， are read by actor Will Patton who does a marvelous job voicing all of the characters。 The book description above is very accurate。 I might add that upon returning from World War II， the main character and his wife had to deal with the anti communist attitudes in America， with some people assuming that they were both communists， because her parents were members of the communist party in Spain。 Even though it’s fiction， I’m wondering how many real American servicemen married ladies from other countries， only to find resentment among American friends and relatives in the USA。 。。。more
Suzanne C
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Beautiful and horrible all in one ambitious package。 What an amazing writer。 I'll be moseying on to the next novel in the series directly。 Beautiful and horrible all in one ambitious package。 What an amazing writer。 I'll be moseying on to the next novel in the series directly。 。。。more
John
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Friends may have noticed that I am a fan of James Lee Burke， but I have not enjoyed the Holland series as much as the wonderful Robicheaux books。 However， I was really drawn into this book， slowly at first， but by about a third of the way through I was totally hooked and caught up。 Full of memorable characters， some real， mostly fictional。 The storytelling is quite brilliant ， the need to know “what will happen next？” Never leaves you and the pacing is electric。 Highly recommended。
Connorsallison
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Nice to experience Burke’s prose with a more esteem-able character than robicheaux。 Good story。
Zee
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4+ stars Audiobook: Will Patton’s narration provides a unique voice to this WW-II era novel。 His hint of slow southern drawl plus his acting skills complement Burke’s prose well。 This is my first foray into the writings of JLB。 His writing has a depth and character that is different from other authors。 I want to read more。
Suzanne
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This is my first book by author James Lee Burke and it blew me away。 His writing is amazing: lush， fragrant， and astute; I found myself copying whole paragraphs to think about later。 This is the first in a trilogy and I’ve received the 3rd as an ARC to review。 I just wanted to gain some background before I reviewed the new book and， found myself enthralled， unable to put it down for anything。 Crumbs all over the iPad， that’s the kind of book it is。 I didn’t stop to eat。 I can’t wait to read the This is my first book by author James Lee Burke and it blew me away。 His writing is amazing: lush， fragrant， and astute; I found myself copying whole paragraphs to think about later。 This is the first in a trilogy and I’ve received the 3rd as an ARC to review。 I just wanted to gain some background before I reviewed the new book and， found myself enthralled， unable to put it down for anything。 Crumbs all over the iPad， that’s the kind of book it is。 I didn’t stop to eat。 I can’t wait to read the next in the series and then onward。 He is a prolific writer and there’s so much more to read。 This book was a total surprise and joy。 A man struggles to succeed at his life when faced with all manner of evil and stupidity; from his teens through WWII and the post-war expansion， he is challenged and wonders if he will be found lacking。 This is a gem。 。。。more
Thomas Brown
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An increasingly tense story of two friends and business partners who find themselves and their families threatened by shady powerful figures。 Some elements are vague but the story drives on nicely and the characters are convincing。
Jan Norton
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I love James Lee Burke‘s character development 。 His characters are real and flawed。 The thing I love the most is that his characters usually do what is right even if it costs them。
Perri
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Here's a good thing， a thriller author who knows how to write。 The suspense was terrific， Holland is a guy you root for hard！ He's the epitome of a good guy and it's a tough system he's not backing down from。 Pairing that with some sweet prose and I've found a winner。 Here's a good thing， a thriller author who knows how to write。 The suspense was terrific， Holland is a guy you root for hard！ He's the epitome of a good guy and it's a tough system he's not backing down from。 Pairing that with some sweet prose and I've found a winner。 。。。more
Tom DeLoughrey
，
Couldn’t make myself finish this book and I always finish books。 Characters aren’t real or believable。 I’d rather spend my time reading someone like John D MacDonald。
Deborah Cleaves
，
Not the usual Robichaux novel， but filled with magical language and apt descriptions。 Burke never disappoints and has a unique talent for descriptions so vivid you can visualize and smell them without ever having been where his characters are。
Daphne
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Very good - 1st James Lee Burke I have read
Jerry D。
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Burke never disappoints James Lee Burke captures the triumph， tragedy and tumultuous nature of the human condition like no other writer I know。 The strength of his prose makes him a national treasure
Karen
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Not my cup of tea。
Ann
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A sweeping epic from the 1930s， through World War II and beyond with lots of bad guys versus good guys。 The problem was I could never figure out why all these bad guys were after Weldon and Hershel and their wives which made the violence seem gratuitous。
Tom Mathews
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James Lee Burke is a master at using words to paint pictures and creating fully-formed characters out of thin air。 When he has a good story to tell he can keep his readers hanging onto every word。 Unfortunately， the plot of this book is so thin that not even an author of Burke's character can salvage it。 It starts out fine with young Weldon Holland taking potshots at Bonnie and Clyde， then skips forward a decade to the Ardennes where Lt。 Weldon Holland saves his sergeant's life and rescues his f James Lee Burke is a master at using words to paint pictures and creating fully-formed characters out of thin air。 When he has a good story to tell he can keep his readers hanging onto every word。 Unfortunately， the plot of this book is so thin that not even an author of Burke's character can salvage it。 It starts out fine with young Weldon Holland taking potshots at Bonnie and Clyde， then skips forward a decade to the Ardennes where Lt。 Weldon Holland saves his sergeant's life and rescues his future wife from a death camp。 （view spoiler）[ Then they go home to America， start up an oil pipeline business， piss off rich tycoons and spend the rest of the book running for their lives。 （hide spoiler）] I grant that Burke tells the story a lot better than I can and he does create characters that I really liked and cared about but when motives driving the story are unclear， readers are left scratching their heads。 I continue to like Burke and will be reading many more of his books but my recommendation of this book is tepid， at best。 。。。more
Catherine
，