Comanche Moon (by Larry McMurtry)
It’s been a long journey, and I’ve finally completed the Lonesome Dove series by Larry McMurtry. I chose to read the books in the order they were published, so the series finale is Comanche Moon. It’s been an absolute pleasure to ride alongside Call and McCrae as they embarked on a decades-long journey across the rugged western United States.
I first read Lonesome Dove in 2018 at the enthusiastic recommendation of a friend who’s a huge fan of the entire series. I was informed that there are two ways to read the series: in the order of publication or chronologically by the storyline. I decided to start with Lonesome Dove, considering its popularity, and if I didn’t enjoy it enough to continue, I would have been content with just reading this book. To my delight, I found it incredibly enjoyable.
It took me a while to return to the series, as I didn’t read Streets of Laredo until 2025. I decided to read the series in the order of publication, as it seemed logical to me. I assumed there was a reason behind the books being written in this order. I thoroughly enjoyed Streets of Laredo, and I was intrigued by the adventures that awaited Call. I devoured every moment of Lorena and Pea Eye’s relationship and dedication to each other and their children. I especially adored meeting Famous Shoes.
A few people recommended that I watch the television miniseries of Lonesome Dove. I started reading Dead Man’s Walk in early 2026 and decided it was the perfect time to watch the miniseries. I was captivated by Robert Duvall’s portrayal of Gus McCrae. Seeing the story of Lonesome Dove come to life was immensely enjoyable. I was then surprised to learn that there’s a television miniseries for every book in the series! I decided to watch them in the order I read the books, so I recently enjoyed Streets of Laredo. Up next is Dead Man’s Walk.
Watching the Lonesome Dove miniseries reignited my interest in completing the book series with Comanche Moon, while the events of the series were still fresh in my mind. Comanche Moon is the second chronological book (and fourth published) in the series. Set in the 1850s and 1860s on the Texas frontier, it follows Texas Rangers Augustus McCrae and Woodrow Call—now in their middle years—as they navigate personal hardships, Ranger duties, and the brutal conflicts between encroaching settlers and the defiant Comanche people.
The story begins with an eccentric captain’s pursuit of the legendary Comanche horse thief Kicking Wolf, leading to wild chases across the Llano Estacado and into Mexico. This journey involves formidable figures such as war chief Buffalo Hump and the torturous bandit Ahumado. With the help of the skilled Kickapoo tracker Famous Shoes, Gus and Call confront the waning era of the free-roaming Comanche while grappling with love, loss, and the harsh realities of the changing West.
I thoroughly enjoyed this final book. I genuinely cherished my time with Gus and Call and will undoubtedly miss their adventures, humorous banter, and the unique camaraderie among the men who acted like family. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to immerse myself in these captivating stories.
However, I found the conclusion of Comanche Moon somewhat disappointing. I had hoped that the story would have taken Gus and Call further, creating a stronger connection to Lonesome Dove. This would have provided a sense of closure and a feeling that the story had reached its full circle. It’s not the first time I’ve felt this way while reading the last three books, as I’ve often noticed that McMurtry leaves several loose ends, particularly when the outcomes of certain characters are not clearly defined. Hours after finishing a book and processing its content, I’m frequently reminded of specific characters and wonder about their fates. These moments can be unsettling.
I understand that this series was never meant to be a series. Lonesome Dove began as a standalone novel, and due to its immense popularity, McMurtry decided to write Streets of Laredo as a sequel to explore the lives of survivors like Captain Call in a harsher, more disillusioned later era. Later, McMurtry wrote Dead Man’s Walk and Comanche Moon as prequels to expand their backstories after fan interest and commercial success made the characters iconic. Knowing this makes sense as to why I don’t believe the individual books connect to each other as a series as well as they could.
Well, I suppose it’s time for me to bid farewell to the Lonesome Dove series—at least in the book format. I’m eager to savor my time with Gus and Call a little longer through the remaining television miniseries episodes I have left to watch.
I purchased Comanche Moon from Audible. Frank Muller provided a good voice to the story.
Feel free to explore my reviews for other books by Larry McMurtry, which are conveniently linked below.
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