Yippie-i-oh, it’s a western. Here’s the story of 14-year-old Mattie Ross, a precocious and unflinching girl who is bent on avenging her father’s blood.

She hires Marshal Rooster Cogburn to track down her daddy’s killer—because he’s a “shoot first, ask questions later” type guy. Ranger LaBoeuf also wants to track down the killer to collect some big-time reward money. The three of them journey on horseback into the Wild West in pursuit of the outlaw.

Why is this a classic? The characters. The mix is pure joy. Mattie is sharp-tongued and shrewd, and she has more grit than anyone. Rooster is an immoral drunk, but he discharges his duty where Mattie is concerned, and he has a (non-icky) soft spot for her, due to her spunk. LaBoeuf is a dainty braggart who shows himself worthy of his own high praise—coming through in the clutch.

Everyone is a complex, contradictory mix of good and bad, and when you throw them together—SPARKS.

Mattie’s verbal fencing is the best, and her inner monologue is just as entertaining. This girl is a Piece Of Work, and it’s fun to watch her doggedly badger people into doing what she wants and how she’s determined to have her way in every particular. But she’s not a machine or a rock—she’s soft in her own way. In many respects, this is a coming-of-age story that takes the shape of a quest.

I listened to the audiobook read by novelist Donna Tartt, and it was good. The Jeff Bridges film is perfection and quite faithful to the text!

Content warnings: There is much talk of killing, shooting, drinking, and gambling, but we don’t see too much of this action on stage. There is PG-13 action-related violence. There is surprisingly little profanity and almost zero sex in this book.