Texas Books

Deb Ralston mysteries are very addictive, and this one is no exception. I didn't get to read them in order, which would have been preferable since developments in the lives of the characters then make a lot more sense. In this one, Deb is almost nine months pregnant with Cameron at the beginning and is the only one who can go to New Mexico to find her errant son Hal and his girlfriend Lorie, who hitched a ride there together without permission during spring break. Of course, Hal is eventually found in a sleeping bag next to the murdered body of a young woman, and Lorie turns up missing. So Deb ends up helping the police chief of this very small town in investigating the murder (and finding Lorie) so that Hal can be cleared of the whole thing and they can go home. Although there is a lot of tragedy and sadness in this book, much humor is evident throughout...I have read this book over and over, laughing at how funny/difficult it is for adults to get through to Hal, who lives seemingly in a world of his own logic. :)

Sixteen year old Hal Ralston and his girlfriend, Lorie Hankins, take off hitchhiking on a whim, never expecting they'd wind up in deep trouble. Deb Ralston sets out after them both, grumbling that the children of police officers should know better, only to locate Hal... in jail. Hal is being held for suspicion of murder of another young girl, April, and Lorie is nowhere to be found. At nine months pregnant, Deb could deliver anytime but she is determined to find Lorie and clear Hal's name.

HAL'S OWN MURDER CASE is part of the Deb Ralston series and, arguably, the best book in the series. This time the case is very personal as the future of her son is in jeopardy. Deb knows Hal didn't commit murder but she has to help uncover the evidence to prove to Chief Alberto Salazar of Las Vegas, New Mexico, that Hal is innocent. Initially, I did find it a bit odd that Salazar trusted Deb so quickly, but as the story unveils, his trust begins to make perfect sense.

Anyone who has ever worked with or actually had teenagers of their own will appreciate Hal's character, as well as the reactions of the adults who interact with him. Hal's vague answers and impulsive behaviors make both Deb and Salazar want to pull their hair out but one has to also admire their patience in spite of it all. I couldn't help but laugh during quite a few of these scenes.

HAL'S OWN MURDER CASE is a fun but quirky murder investigation. The characters really make this story work. Salazar emerges as a very strong character and I found his speech near the end of the story to be quite touching. Lee Martin always writes an excellent story and HAL'S OWN MURDER CASE is yet another excellent example. Easily recommended!

COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

HALEY TEXAS 1959 is an American classic. I loved these two fascinating novellas. Don Watt's powerful voice and storytelling ability is as rare as it is mesmerizing. Like John Sayles or Raymond Carver, Watt unflinchingly explores tough questions--racial, spiritual, family--with courage and integrity. The novellas confront the notion of family values as they explore father-son/mother-son relationships and the nature of familial fidelity and ethical responsibility as well as greater social issues of racism, small town politics, spirituality, conscience, honor and truth. Watt is an expert craftsman and first rate fiction writer. With the authority of someone who intimately understands small town life, Watt has created complex characters whose stories are utterly compelling. And he depicts those characters with clarity, intelligence and compassion in language that is never dull or disappointing.

If you're looking for a great read, pick up HALEY, TEXAS 1959. Buy a copy for a friend. It might be the best money you spend all year. You won't be disappointed.

I read the review in the Dallas News Readers Section, Immediately "one click" ordered it from Amazon.com and read it within a week of ordering it. I enjoyed it very much and will read it several more times. Mr. Watt has truly captured the climate of the Henderson County of the 1950s that I remember. I am a year or two older than he, but, as a resident of a near by small Henderson County town during those times, I remember yearning for and saving for firearms in Spencer's Hardware and have even attended some of the churches he describes so well. I relived the effect the mind-set of the condesending old church elder he describes as well as the shadow religious ferver can cast over a family. There is no way I can describe how well he captures the climate of the times and I wish I had the ablility to express myself with such honesty and integrity. He is such a powerful writer. This is a great book...one to treasure and keep.

Patrick Dearen, author of several works on West Texas themes, relied upon archival holdings, county records, interviews, period journals, and family accounts to piece together this story of a fascinating character who became a builder of Texas. The author has written an admiring account of a Texan who as a family man, business entrepreneur, cattle rancher, and all-around solid citizen, left an indelible impression upon his adopted state. May his tribe increase! -- WEST TEXAS HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION YEARBOOK, 2002.

Mayer Halff's name may be unfamiliar to anyone unacquainted with Texas history or the range cattle industry, but he was one of the most important cattlemen in American history. . . . Every year he sent thousands of head of cattle to market. Dearen describes the vicissitudes of the business, especially in the uncertainty of the Pecos River region, where prolonged drouth ruined many a rancher and killed thousands of cattle. . . . The reader will learn a great deal here how the cattle business operated in the late 19th century and how well Halff did in it. . . . Halff had a vision of what he wanted to accomplish, and by the time of his death in 1905 he had accomplished it. Dearen does a fine job of sharing Halff's vision with the reader. -- WESTERN STATES JEWISH HISTORY.

This wonderful biography of Mayer Halff who immigrated to Texas at the age of fourteen from Lauterbourg, France in about 1850, should be read by everyone who likes the history of early Texas and of the Old West. Mayer Halff was a pioneer Jewish merchant first in Liberty, Texas, and later in San Antonio. But his most interesting role was that of being one of the first men to develop the cattle industry and ranching in Texas. Those scenes we have all seen so often in movies and television of the cattle drives and cowboys were the result of men like Mayer Halff. In 1861 Halff led one of the early cattle drives from Liberty to Lyon's Point, fifty miles from New Iberia, Louisiana. Later he participated in and helped develop the large cattle drives up to Dodge City, Kansas, and other places, in the 1870s and the years that followed. Eventually, Halff owned or leased several ranches including the huge Quien Sabe Ranch which would encompass five to six hundred square miles across Midland and Glasscock counties. During this period Halff's Quien Sabe would maintain 10,000 to 12,000 cattle. All in all a great story of an important man in early Texas.

I used this book extensively during the three years I lived in Texas. I liked its mix of history and practical where, when, and how information.
Organized regionally around the major cities, the Texas Handbook also includes numerous towns and sights of interest in the surrounding vicinity and places between. It does a remarkably good job of covering such a large state.
Hopefully a new addition is in the works. Because it was published in 1998, most prices will be out-of-date, but it's so easy to now get hours & admission via web sites, that it's not that big of a problem once you've used the handbook to identify all the interesting places you want to visit.

We found this very useful on our trip, finding great spots to visit that we may not have otherwise found.

125 illustrations add spice to The Handbook Of Texas Music, an encyclopedia-style reference of famous Texas composers, performers, musical artifacts, and much more. Packed with history, trivia, and critical insights on the evolution of Texas music, from tradition to popular culture and much more, The Handbook Of Texas Music is a resource guaranteed to foster new fascination and appreciation for this Texas musical and cultural expression.

Believe it or not, Texas music is not all twangin' or "I'm A Lone Cowhand" - music of the Lone Star State reflects the diverse cultural backgrounds from which it sprang - American Indians, Anglo- Americans, African Americans, German Americans, and various other immigrant groups. Representatives of this musical heritage are as different as Janis Joplin and Van Cliburn, yet all share one thing in common - the great state of Texas.

Here, in The Handbook of Texas Music one finds alphabetical listings of all that has contributed to this rich musical background. Beginning with Elmer Akins, a radio announcer and gospel music promoter who formed the Royal Gospel Quartet in the early 1940s, and concluding with Zydeco, "a type of music that evolved from an acoustic folk idiom known as la-la, dating back to the 1920s and unique to black Creoles..."

In between there is a plethora of information. We learn that the "Yellow Rose of Texas" is a song about a slave who was supposed to have assisted in winning the battle of San Jacinto, and that musician and composer Roger Miller had no formal training on any of the instruments he played nor did he ever learn to read music.

The roster of notables included is lengthy, including Buck Owens, Stevie Ray Vaughan, ZZ Top, Willie Nelson, Selena, the Light Crust Doughboys, and the list goes on.

A bonanza for scholars and music lovers alike The Handbook of Texas Music is 390 pages of facts and noteworthy (pun intended) information.

- Gail Cooke

When a Peggy Moreland book comes out, I can't work, clean, sleep or eat. People glare at me as I say "hush, I'm reading." A Moreland book is a romance treasure rich in emotion and laughter.

The McCloud family has been a joy to meet. This is the fifth book in the series, and each is a stand alone story. Think they may have to replace TEX at the State Fair with a statue of the McCloud women. All are strong role models.

Lacey and Tavis's story is full of heart-- hot sex, getting caught and healing past pain.

Bravo!

Those McCloud gals are at it again, and this time there's a new sister to add to the fun and romance.

Champion barrel-racer Lacey Cline is determined to find her father, Lucas McCloud, and let him know what a lowdown, dirty dog he undoubtedly was for abandoning her and her mother. Her own mother resented her for the mere fact that she resembled her father, so Lacey grew up believing that she wasn't wanted by anyone, and that has left a huge hole in Lacey's heart. When she arrives at the Double Cross Heart Ranch, itching for a fight, Lacy not only finds out that Lucas has been dead for several years, but that she has a ready-made family, including three half-sisters. The McCloud gang immediately takes Lacey into their fold, whether she wants to be or not. When her horse accidentally comes up lame, Lacey is forced to stick around the old McCloud homeplace for a while and is given the opportunity to observe her newly-found family up close and personal. As her heart slowly begins to thaw, Lacey discovers that love might not be such a bad thing after all.

Travis Cordell came roaring into the easy-going life at the Double Cross Heart Ranch itching for a fight of his own. He was there determined to stop his twin brother, Jack, from making the mistake of his life. When he disrupts a McCloud wedding in progress, Travis soon learns how formidable the McCloud clan can be. He decides to stick around awhile, under the guise of making some repairs to Jack's home while he's on his honeymoon, and observes the closeness of this unique family. He befriends the overwhelmed Lacey, and soon the two of them discover they have more in common than busting into a family unannounced. They discover a spark of desire between them that could lead to a more permanent relationship. It's that McCloud magic at work, once again.

For outstanding authenticity in western-influenced, Texas-based romances, one only has to look for the name Peggy Moreland on the cover. Moreland has once again scored a huge hit with her exciting McCloud gals in her newest book, "Hard Lovin' Man." This is the last edition in Moreland's "Texas Brides" series, and I, for one, hate to see it end. Luckily, Peggy has a whole new crew of handsome cowboys and fascinating women coming up in her new series, "Texas Grooms," that should prove to be just as fun to get to know.

In 1960, at the age of 40 and after many years wondering the globe, Texas-born writer John Graves bought a worn-out patch of land in the hills south of Fort Worth. It began as something of a retreat and became a life-long attachment. This book, published in 1974, is a humorously thoughtful description of how this new landowner becomes equally owned by the land he has settled on.

Not a long book, it reads at a leisurely pace, as Graves traces the history of the land, once fertile and grass-covered. He tells what he knows of the numerous tribes of Native Americans who once lived on it, including the fierce Comanches. Then he characterizes the first settlers, who knew next to nothing about land stewardship and cared less, exhausting it with poor farming techniques, overgrazing, and a single-crop economy--cotton. We learn of the toll taken in depleted soil, diminished flood control, and the spread of cedar and scrub brush across former prairie. And we learn of the descendants of these early settlers, diminished by reduced circumstances, some of them making a living by cutting down cedar brakes into fence posts.

Having established the history of the land, Graves takes us on a tour of his farm, which he calls Hard Scrabble, describing in turn the fields and streams, the plant and animal life, the weather. Then he describes the long, slow process of reclaiming what he can of his 400 acres, clearing the land, building a house, barn, and other outbuildings, learning stone masonry and carpentry as he goes. In connection with this subject, there is a discourse on the industriousness and workmanship of Mexican laborers, all of them illegal, who help him with building, fencing, and fighting back the growth of unwanted brush and cedar. On the subject of animal husbandry, he tells of raising cattle and goats. And in the investment of himself in all of these he ruminates on how they transform him and root this former world-traveler more firmly into a rural frame of mind.

Of the many things I enjoyed in this book, I especially liked his capturing of the way his country neighbors talk. Their points of view and temperaments are captured in quirky turns of phrase and syntax. An episode involving local fox hunters is a joy to read. Graves is in many ways a Texas version of E. B. White, transplanted from city to country and not only seeing this remote environment with fresh eyes but engaging physically with it, befriending the long-time inhabitants, and discovering a way of life only dimly understood by city-dwellers. Although Graves' writing style is more given to verbal flourishes, his wry humor and literary allusions remind one of White's collection of essays on living in Maine, "One Man's Meat."

I recommend this book to anyone interested in country life, Texas, subsistence farming, and natural history. As companions to "Hard Scrabble," I would recommend books by three other rancher/farmer writers: "Windbreak," by South Dakota writer Linda Hasselstrom, "A Collection of Cowboy Logic" by North Dakota writer Ryan Taylor, and "Sketches From the Ranch" by Montana writer Dan Aadland.

Texan John Graves is not a man to shy away from challenges: he invites them. When he bought his little piece of Texas, he clearly knew he was in for a big one, but I am not sure if he was aware of how his accumulated knowledge of this land would shape the man he was becoming. This book takes you through the process of a bumpy courtship and the resulting marriage between a man and his land.
Already armed with a deep appreciation of Nature, he was able to slowly coax renewed vigor into this misused patch of land through his gentle nurturing of it.

The book is full of his personal adventurers such as stone masonry, animal husbandry, carpentry, and all the hazards inherent in farm life. All presented without regret, with humor and modesty. Inevitably he laments the encroachment of more urban activities as they threaten his bucolic existence. Yet he speaks of the duality of his own urban interactions and compares them to the realities of his rural lifestyle.

This book to me was as much about the man John Graves as it is about his subject, "Hard Scrabble". Tough and complex, like his Patch of Land, he personifies the best Texas has to offer.

In the history of the armor divisions from World War 2, it is the higher numbered divisions (11th, 12th, 14th, etc) that always are given less than their proper credit. This book goes a large way in righting that wrong. Using pictures, maps & personal accounts Mr Ferguson tell sthe story of the 12th Armored Division in a readable manner.

Written by a military historian and marine corps veteran who served in Operation Desert Storm, Hellcats: The 12th Armored Division In World War II is the fascinating true story of the 12th Armored Division during World War II, from its training on the plains of West Texas to its initial action, the liberation of Nazi death camps and victory. An eye-opening account drawn from interviews and secondary sources alike, illustrated with vintage black-and-white photographs and rounded out appendices detailing a chronology, lists of those left behind, overseas wartime assignments and more. A superb addition to military history and reference shelves.

Henrietta King of the famed King Ranch was a prominent figure in Texas history. This book covers her life in a easy to read format for elementary school students learning about this great lady. A must for school projects about Henrietta.

Tying in to the ever increasing demand for quality children's literature Abilene, Texas based State House Press has launched a new series. The personalities receiving attention are not well known Texans, nonetheless they are those who have made valuable contributions to Texas history.

Many have heard of the name of the King Ranch, arguably the most famous ranch in Texas, but few probably know very much about the woman whose name it bears. Daughter of a Presbyterian minister, Henrietta King was educated at an eastern girls school. She learned etiquette and foreign languages, believing that some day she would marry a minster very much like her father.

Life held more than a few surprises for Henrietta - she married a boat captain who was also a South Texas rancher. He had little education and the pair soon lived in a hut fashioned of sticks and mud on the plains of South Texas. Her life was not easy; the couple had five children and the weather could be daunting. Nonetheless, the ranch flourished and she found herself caring for the Mexicans who worked for them.

Summoning courage she stayed at the Ranch during the Civil War when her husband was away. She remained steadfast during the invasion of Union soldiers. More travail was to come - the ranch burned in 1912 and was attacked during the Mexican Revolution. When her husband died in 1885, she was in full charge. She wore a black mourning dress for 40 years, and managed the ranch with her son-in-law, Robert Kleberg. They built an empire that grew to a million acres and 95,000 head of cattle. What a woman!

Alter's book makes excellent use of sidebars to impart valuable information, and includes a glossary, a timeline, and websites that hold additional information. Both comprehensive and highly readable for fourth graders, Henrietta King is apt reminder of the strength and determination of this indomitable woman.

- Gail Cooke

In the 1960's Michael O'Kelly and his team of student archaeologists restored the megalithic structure known as Newgrange. This book presents his findings and speculation on the ancient tumulus, and written and pictorial accounts of the reconstruction works itself.

Although the existence of the structure was known since Charles Campbell discovered it in 1699, its premier significance as a repository of ancient art, architecture and symbolism was never fully realised until Prof. O'Kelly and his team set about their work. The phenomenon of the roofbox, which for 7 minutes at dawn on the days of the winter solstice fills the central chamber with light, is incredible. I have visited the site more than 30 times, and had the privilege of a solstice viewing in 1994. I cannot recall a more fundamentally spiritual experience in my life.

This book has it all. The non-academic reader (I am one such!) may find certain sections a little turgid, but there are plenty of discussions on the mythology and symbolism to compensate for all the facts and figures if the latter don't suit. The illustrations are superb (photos, maps,pen/ink); the footnotes comprehensive, the objective analysis is compelling and the whole project just so worthwhile.

The reader can also enjoy placing their own interpretations on the significance of the carvings, objet d'art and the Solstice phenomenon, and be just as valid as anyone else. After all, the original builders left this earth 6500 years ago and didn't leave a users manual!!

Enjoy. 5 Stars (and the sun and moon as well!)

Provides plenty of technical information on the excavation and restoration of Newgrange without destroying the wonder of the site. Great drawings as well as photos, exactly what I was hoping for when I ordered the book.