Outlaw Pete by Bruce Springsteen
Ill. by Frank Caruso. Simon & Schuster, 2014. ISBN 9781501103858
(Age: 12+) Picture book for older readers. USA Wild West. Cowboys.
Springsteen's Outlaw Pete is an amalgam of the stories he
heard and loved as a young boy. Cowboys and Indians, the Wild West,
the story of Brave Cowboy Bill his mother used to read to him, the
spaghetti westerns he watched, are infused with the stories from
Native Americans and filtered through Springsteen's considerable
abilities to produce this picture book for older readers.
Cowboy Pete is a tragic figure, sometimes poignant, but always
brave. His past looms over him but he is determined to put it behind
him, burying the fact of his outlaw deeds: robbing banks,
terrorising communities and killing those in his way. He rides as
far west as he can, marrying a Navaho woman and settling down with
their daughter. But his past catches up to him when a bounty hunter
arrives. Before he dies, the hunter tells Pete that he can never
outrun his past, and so Pete moves on, never to be seen again, his
daughter calling for him through her days.
This is a mesmerising story, reminding readers of all the tales they
have heard of outlaws who are desperate to redeem themselves. Pete
is an example of someone searching for sanity after a wild youth,
but unable to disentangle himself from the life he has led. It is a
salutary tale, a cautionary tale of past sins catching up, of regret
and the need for absolution.
The illustrations are blazingly different and just as mesmerising,
causing the readers to stop and look closely at what is before them.
The different techniques used, line drawing, crayon, water colour,
wash, oil, daubs of thick colour and pages of one colour, all add to
the interest in this book, as each page uncovers a surprise, forcing
the reader to think about the story and the juxtaposition of the
media used by the illustrator.
The refrain, I'm Outlaw Pete is scrawled across the pages as
he throws away his youth, but as the story continues, the refrain
changes subtly, reflecting his need for redemption and forgiveness.
This is certainly well worth looking past the cover to find the
layers of meaning inside.
To hear Springsteen's song, go to Youtube.
Fran Knight