William Donohue Ellis (1918–2000)

I bought this book at a library discard sale on a whim, based upon the cover. This time the cover method actually worked!

Jonathan Blair is what is referred to as a "Five Dollar Lawyer" by people on the northwestern frontier of the early 1800s, in what is now known as the state of Ohio. He helps the settlers with land deeds, treaties with the natives, etcetera, armed with just his three water-stained law books, doing his circuit on his unnamed bay mount. When a banker with a desire for more control tries to foreclose on the settlers, they find themselves in need of a 100 dollar lawyer, but all they have is Blair. Is he up to the challenge?

I really liked this book, definitely well-researched and full of early US/American history, but never overwhelmingly so. There's a lot of legal discussions, but I never felt bored, nor did the courtroom scenes slow down the story. And you get to know the characters, their strengths and weaknesses. The writing style reminded me of Conrad Richter and other good frontier fiction authors, but Ellis also adds just a bit of humor to keep the realities of the time from being too grim. Definitely recommended, if you can find a copy.… (más)