The Big Dry

A Novel
In this standalone sequel to The Big Drift, 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 for a murder he didn’t commit. His white friend Will Brite’s only hope is to find the actual culprit, a man with a missing finger.
In this standalone sequel to The Big Drift—winner of five awards including the Spur Award of Western Writers of America—Patrick 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 didn’t commit. His white friend Will Brite, with whom he rode in the Big Drift blizzard, has exhausted virtually all avenues to get Zeke exonerated. Will’s 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.

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