Red Sky at Morning

Red Sky at Morning is a coming-of-age novel by American author Richard Bradford, first published in 1968. Set during World War II, it focuses on teenager Josh Arnold, whose family moves from Mobile, Alabama, to the small western town of Corazon Sagrado in New Mexico after his father joins the Navy. Josh is forced to grow up in a hurry as he becomes the man of the household and has to navigate the new environment of the American west. Combining elements of western novels with all-ages storytelling, the novel takes its title from an ancient mariner’s poem, “Red sky at morning, sailor take warning”. Exploring themes of growing up, life during wartime, and the conflict between those from developed cities and the people of the unspoiled west, Red Sky at Morning is considered Bradford’s best work and a classic of the genre, and was adapted into a 1971 film of the same name, directed by James Goldstone and starring Richard Thomas as Josh.

Red Sky at Morning begins as Josh Arnold in his family enjoy their last meal in their house in Mobile;in the morning they will leave for their summer home in New Mexico, where Josh and his mother will live while his father fights in World War II as part of the US Navy. The Arnolds first came to New Mexico for health reasons when Josh was only a toddler, and his parents immediately fell in love with its unspoiled beauty and culture. This is the first time Josh has been to Sagrado in seven years, and the family home is the largest in the town. Although the town is close to Los Alamos, where local chatter acknowledges there is a war going on, little has changed since he left. When the family arrives, Josh and his father arrange a contract with a native man, Amadeo Montoya, to look after the property. Josh’s mother forms a bond with Excilda, Amadeo’s wife, whom they hire as the family cook. After they’ve settled in, Josh’s father boards a train for Massachusetts, where he’ll enlist in the Navy.

Soon afterwards, Josh enters his senior year at the local high school, where he quickly forms a strange group of friends who guide him through life in New Mexico. The first is William Stenopolous Jr., nicknamed Steenie. The son of an obstetrician, he is an eccentric boy with a keen interest in human anatomy. Steenie introduces Josh to Marcia Davidson, a tomboyish girl and the daughter of the rector at the local Episcopal Church, who frequently rebels against her father’s wishes. Josh develops a crush on a girl named Viola Lopez, who all the boys think is the most beautiful girl in school, but her protective brother Chango threatens to beat him if he comes near her. Outside school, Josh makes friends with a local sculptor named Romeo Bonino, a friend of his father’s who is always surrounded by a group of models. Josh travels around town with Steenie and Marcia, meeting the townspeople and getting to know the local culture. He and his friends get into mischief, as they introduce Josh to eccentric local games such as “chicken”, when they run and touch a horse’s corpse. Josh winds up tripping and falling on the horse’s body, leaving him nauseous and his friends amused.



Josh’s mother has a harder time fitting into rural life. She occasionally plays bridge with local women, but is mostly isolated and spends a lot of time drinking sherry from their cellar. She’s made unhappier by the sudden arrival of Jimbob Buel, a friend of theirs from Mobile who reminds her of the life she left behind. Her drinking increases as time goes on, eventually leading her to fire the Montoyas one night while drunk and angry. Worried about his mother and not able to keep her from drinking, Josh contacts Dr. Arthur Temple, Sagrado’s only psychiatrist. He investigates her, but is otherwise useless, only saying that she’s a drunk. Josh takes charge, meeting with the Montoyas and convincing them to return to their jobs. He makes clear to them that he will be acting as the head of the household from now on. With Amadeo once again tending the land and Excilda cooking and cleaning, life almost goes back to normal. However, his mother continues drinking, and then the ultimate blow comes as word gets back to the family that Josh’s father has been killed overseas. Josh gets the telegram notifying them of his father's death, and he feels as if this is the moment his childhood officially ended. Josh graduates from high school, gets more confident in running the household, and makes the decision to sell the old house in Alabama. He takes over the family business, a shipyard in the south, and appoints trusted people to run it. Finally, he honors his father’s sacrifice by enlisting in the US Navy for two years and leaving to join the troops.

Richard Bradford was an American novelist, best known for Red Sky at Morning. A Marine Corps veteran, he was also the author of a column in the quarterly New Mexico magazine El Palacio, and most of his works were set in the state.