Historical western

The Which Way Tree

by Elizabeth Crook

In post-Civil-War Texas, young Benjamin Shreve joins his fierce half sister Samantha on the trail of the panther that scarred her and killed her mother. Their perilous hunt unfolds through Benjamin's observant narration as the siblings cross a landscape marked by wild animals, racial violence, and uncertain justice. Samantha's obsession makes the panther both a physical quarry and the focus of grief she cannot otherwise master. Vivid and spare, this historical western suits readers who enjoy sibling bonds, survival journeys, Reconstruction-era settings, and coming-of-age stories where revenge and courage are never as simple as the legends told afterward.