Happy Trails

I don’t know that I knew much about Roy Rogers other than that he sang “Happy Trails.”  It’s funny how the hero of a generation can easily become a name in the next, only to disappear after that.  I’m sure my children do not know about this man, and yet through reading this book I now know a little of the appeal that he had, and the reason for his fame.

This book starts out looking at Roy’s life from birth, and then switches to Dale’s life until finally merging after their marriage to talk about their lives together.  There are some photos of them at about the point that the transition occurs so that you can see what they and their family looked like.

One of the things that you learn early on is that names were often changed frequently in show business—which happens to some degree now, but it’s still a little jarring.  This book could almost have been titled “Leonard Slye and Frances Smith – Happy Trails” and yet I figure that fewer would have purchased it!

One of the neat things about this book, besides the behind the scenes look at these two people, is their faith.  Roy did not start out with a faith in God, and yet he grew into the faith such that he was known for it.  Dale knew she strayed from the faith, and yet came back to it.

The other thing I really enjoyed about this book was how it brought up how people lived in the past.  I mean, the idea of building a house that can float, that could go down the street in a rainy season, and how they were able to live in it—it’s just amusing.

I would recommend this book for anyone that’s interested in Hollywood, Christian actors, or just wants to be encouraged in their faith.