The Big Dry

(Paperback, Large Print Edition)

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In this standalone sequel to The Big Driftwinner of five awards including the Spur Award of Western Writers of AmericaPatrick Dearen explores race relations against the backdrop of the Big Dry, a devastating drought in the 1880s in Texas. Zeke Boles, a black cowhand, awaits hanging in North Texas for a murder he didnt commit. His white friend Will Brite, with whom he rode in the Big Drift blizzard, has exhausted virtually all avenues to get Zeke exonerated. Wills only hope is to set out for the faraway Devils River to find the actual culprit, a man with a missing finger.

But Will has his own legal issues. He has married Jessie, a young woman of mixed race who often passes for white, and a grand jury is sure to return an indictment of miscegenation that could land Will in prison. Follow the exploits of Will and his friend Arch Brannon as they join a cattle drive through a searing land between the Devils and Pecos rivers. This hellish trail is destined to be marked with carcasses and a lonely grave, and the elusive possibility of finding hope at the end.

Author Bio

A 2022 inductee in the Texas Literary Hall of Fame, Patrick Dearen wears two hats. As a historian and folklorist, he digs deeply into the lore and legend of the West and produces books that appeal to both scholars and general readers. As a novelist, he draws on this reservoir of knowledge and crafts stories of people interacting with a harsh and yet beautiful environment.