Honey in the Horn

By H.L. Davis

Book Overview

Set in Oregon in the early years of the twentieth century, H. L. Davis's Honey in the Horn chronicles the struggles faced by homesteaders as they attempted to settle down and eke out subsistence from a still-wild land. With sly humor and keenly observed detail, Davis pays homage to the indomitable character of Oregon's restless people and dramatic landscapes without romanticizing or burnishing the myths. Clay Calvert, an orphan, works as a hand on a sheep ranch until he stumbles into trouble and is forced to flee. Journeying throughout the state, from the lush coastal forests, to the Columbia Gorge, to the golden wheat fields east of the Cascades, he encounters a cast of characters as rich and diverse as the land, including a native Tunne boy and a beautiful girl named Luce. Originally published in 1935, Honey in the Horn reveals as much about the prevailing attitudes and beliefs of H. L. Davis' lifetime as it does about the earlier era in which it is set. It transcends the limitations of its time through the sheer power and beauty of Davis' prose. Full of humor and humanity, Davis's first novel displays a vast knowledge of Pacific Northwest history, lore, and landscape. An essential book for all serious readers of Northwest literature, this classic coming-of-age novel has been called the " Huckleberry Finn of the West." It is the only Oregon book that has ever won a Pulitzer Prize for fiction. With a new introduction by Richard W. Etulain, this important work from one of Oregon's premier authors is once again available for a new generation to enjoy.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0870717685
• ISBN13: 9780870717680
• Release Date: June 2015
• Publisher: Oregon State University Press
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.2" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

An Oregonian Saga - Well Done

A well-told tale of settling of Oregon in the first decade of the 20th Century. This Pulitzer Prize winning novel captures the spirit of the times as those hardy pioneers struggle to settle a difficult land. Mr. Davis' wry humor makes this a reader's delight. Having lived in the general area as a youth I found many of the incidents sounding like the seemingly endless tales that my father and his collegues would spend hours swapping.

Very enjoyable story

The book tells and interesting story of a young man in southern and eastern Oregon in about 1910 after the big pioneer rush. Very well written with good characters. It won the Pulitzer prize in 1935.

an absorbing account of a little known period in Oregon

This book was impossible to put down. It is an absorbing novel set in (apparently) early 1900s Oregon. It is well researched as to the history and conditions prevailing in a country always hard to live in. And it is a rollicking good story.