The Holt: an American Dynasty, or simply The Holts, was a sequel series to the Wagons West which was printed from 1989-1995. It focused on the third generation of characters that settled Oregon on the first wagon train to the area, but mostly on the children of the previous series' main hero Toby Holt: Tim and Janessa. The first nine novels take place from 1887-1899, with the last novel going from 1900-1941.
The Holts: an American Dynasty series:
- Oregon Legacy
- Oklahoma Pride
- Carolina Courage
- California Glory
- Hawaiian Heritage
- Sierra Triumph
- Yukon Justice
- Pacific Destiny
- Homecoming
- Awakening
Tropes:
- Ancestral Name:
- Mike Holt is named for his grandfather Michael "Whip" Holt.
- Cathy Martin is named for her grandmother Cathy Van Ayl/Blake
- Janessa and Charley named their twins after both sets of grandparents: Mary Lavinia and Brandon Tobias.
- Appease the Volcano God: nearly happens to a protagonist in Hawaii in Carolina Courage.
- Artistic License – History: Oregon was portrayed as a Democrat state. As
Aluminum Christmas Trees as it sounds, at the time of the setting (late 1800s) it was solidly Republican. - Badass Family: the combined Holt/Blake family, although not as much as in the previous series, Wagons West.
- Bizarre Gambling Winnings: Tim Holt wakes up after playing poker while drunk only to find out he won a failing newspaper operation, while losing his silver mine.
- The Bus Came Back: Toby's old flame Martha came back in Oklahoma Pride.
- Damn You, Muscle Memory!: in Pacific Destiny, Henry is posing as a Spaniard in the Philippines during the Spanish-American War. Being amazed at a sight he inadvertently says his surprise in English, making a local policeman take notice and demand his papers...a Chase Scene begins.
- Damsel in Distress: Janessa had to be saved from being killed by a train in Carolina Courage.
- Got Volunteered: in Yukon Justice, it is decided that the town of Dawson needs a sheriff. Since no one actually wants to be the sheriff, an election is done and whoever wins the most votes must take the job.
- Historical Domain Character: Theodore Roosevelt was in several of the novels as a friend of Toby's
- Lady of Adventure: Teddy Montague is very much this, as we see her excel in dealing with the natives in the Philippines.
- "Near and Dear" Baby Naming: Midge Blake's real first name is Marjorie, named for her mother's close friend Marjorie White.
- The Patriarch: Toby very much became one in the series, as he advised and criticized his children as they went to their adult professions as he felt needed.
- Patriotic Fervor: Tim could not help but feel it as he saw the US flag rise after victory in Cuba during the Spanish-American War,
- Puppy Love: It was love as first sight when twelve-year-olds Mike Holt and Eden Brentwood first met at a friends and family gathering in Oklahoma. They do eventually marry three novels later.
- Put on the Bus: Majorie White was frequently mentioned, but never appeared in this series, althro she was often in the last several novels of the previous series.
- Remittance Man: Hugo was sent to America by his family in Britain as he was an embarrassment to the family, althro it was never stated what he did to deserve it. Once he was gainfully employed, he stopped accepting his remittance.
- Snake Oil Salesman: In Oregon Legacy, during a local epidemic, Janessa calls to task a peddler of fake medicines, whose only defense was pointing out that Janessa was a woman, regardless if she was a medical student. (It was the late 1880s, after all).
- Spin-Offspring: Toby's children Tim, Janessa, and later (to a lesser extent) Mike took center stage while other third-generation individuals would occasionally gain focus as well, most notable Sam Brentwood (grandson of the original) and Frank Blake.
