Review 137: The Compton Cowboys

The Compton Cowboys: The New Generation of Cowboys in America's Urban Heartland by Walter Thompson-Hernandez
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

We need diverse books. We need more books like this. I grew up near Compton, in Long Beach and knew what a rough area that was; never knew about cowboys and farms, and black cowboys no less.

 The writing was decent, except for the foul language by the people being profiled. It gives the book authenticity but sometimes was grating. This is a subject that definitely needs a spotlight, but the organization, frame of the book left me wanting.

The book felt like the plot was thin, where was this going? The overall theme seemed to be the owner, Keiara, wanting to sell the farm and retire, and the new owners may not succeed with their vision. Yet there was many diversions from this story. There are several in-depth focus on specific people. We get to know the individuals, these unknown cowboys in an urban setting. And we see their lives entirely, the good and the bad.

Highly recommend to read the author’s note at the end. It places the book more firmly, adds more to the overall story.

Thanks to William Morrow/HarperCollins Publishers and NetGalley for an advance review copy of this book. Although, I had this advanced review eBook copy, I listened to the audio from my public library instead. I heard these voices, and feel it is an excellent way to read this book. The only caveat is that I missed on the photographs that are associated with the published book.