“Wayfaring Stranger” by James Lee Burke – Preservation of a Self

There is no denying that from our perspective, life is a rather lengthy journey, one that transforms us many times over.

And so, it shouldn't come as a surprise that countless questions surrounding our identity tend to be explored from time to time, with perhaps one of the more well-known ones being whether or not we remain ourselves when our morals and values change, or if we become someone else.


In Wayfaring Stranger by James Lee Burke, we are presented with the story of Weldon Holland, a man whose rather extraordinary and unusual life leads him on a path of constant struggle, eventually putting in question whether he is himself, or has become someone completely different and unrecognizable.

To give a brief idea of what it's about, it begins with Holland's run-in with the Barrows gang: the infamous Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. Their confrontation ends with them both parting ways after Weldon opens fire at them. Following that, many years down the line, Weldon finds himself in the midst World War 2, fighting the Battle of the Bulge, saving the life of his sergeant and a young Spanish woman.

As they return back to America with the war being over, Holland ends up becoming a rather powerful businessman, one who starts to rub shoulders with some of the most vile men on the planet, pushing him deeper and deeper within the recesses of his own conscience, eventually leading him on a path inspired by that first encounter with Bonnie and Clyde.

One of the things that really jumped out of this book at me was the way in which Burke carefully chose to portray life back in those days. It really feels as if you are stepping through some sort of portal to a time where things were more naive and simple, where small things were given more appreciation, a time when every moment felt like it had value.

Of course, I don't actually believe was this idyllic a few decades ago; but that is the dreamlike impression Burke creates here. Naturally, Burke also knows of life's darker side, and he does an equally-magnificent job at bringing to life threatening environments, making the impending doom so palpable that on some occasions you actually do fear for the characters themselves.

The whole story arc itself feels rather epic in certain regards, tracing a very long and arduous journey throughout the globe, one during which Weldon finds himself constantly challenged and pushed to the limit.

The different parts of the book certainly have very different feels to them and truly help to create a sense of diversity, one that keeps things fresh and interesting.

Each part of Weldon's life is fascinating in its own right, ultimately yielding some food for thought and serving as an exploration of the concept of personal identity, the power of love, and the importance of preserving the self, or at least its very core.

If slower-paced and more introspective novels are your thing and you want a read that is more adventurous in its nature, is enthrallingly-written and takes you on a journey around the world and inside the human mind, then Wayfaring Stranger will certainly be to your liking.

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James Lee Burke Personal site James Lee Burke is an author hailing from America who is best known for his series of books revolving around the character named Dave Robicheaux. He has received an Edgar Award on two occasions, for Black Cherry Blues, published in 1990, and Cimarron Rose, published in 1998. He is mainly a crime writer and has dished out numerous other works, as well as two short story collections.