Two Brave Brothers
Between 1909 and 1913 brothers Louis (Bud) and Temple Abernathy completed six cross-country journeys on horseback, automobile, donkey, elephant, and motorcycle. Bud and Me is an exciting narrative of these adventurous journeys. In their travels, the boys met Comanche chief Quanah Parker, President William Howard Taft, and President Theodore Roosevelt (who was a friend of Jack Abernathy, the father of Louis and Temple). The boys also encountered difficulties on their journeys such as hailstorms, fast-moving rivers, searing heat, the death of one of their horses, and illness. Through it all, the boys maintained a positive outlook. One thing that struck me was how obsessed Temple was with automobiles; this made me think of the character Mr. Toad in the 1908 classic The Wind in the Willows. Author Alta Abernathy is the wife of Temple Abernathy; the story is told from the perspective of Temple who was the younger brother. I liked this book a great deal as it presents a unique slice of American life from a more genteel time in our history. Highly recommended.
