Jericho's Road

Elmer Kelton

Feb 2008 · Recorded Books · Narrated by Jonathan Davis

About this audiobook

When Texas Ranger private Andy Pickard is assigned to help patrol the TexasMexico border country he rides directly into a deadly feud. At odds are two land and cattle barons—Jericho Jackson, whose great spread lies just north of the Rio Grande, and Guadalupe Chavez, whose domain lies south of the river.

The men are alike in only one respect: their hatred for each other, a hate born at the time of the Alamo and the U.S.-Mexican War, when Mexican lands were confiscated by ruthless Americans. The old rivals have turned to preying on each others' cattle with resulting bloodshed on both sides of the river.

Between the two camps, Big Jim McCawley's ranch seems almost symbolic of the opportunity for the people of the two nations to live together. McCawley is married to Guadalupe Chavez's sister, Juana—a fact that does not ingratiate him to either the Chavez or Jackson faction.

To Andy Pickard, who as a child was taken captive by Comanches, old prejudices are familiar territory, but the Jackson-Chavez war is flaring out of control by the time he reaches the Ranger camp on the border in the company of fellow Ranger Farley Brackett. The two Rangers find themselves caught up in the feud, risking arrest for crossing the river into Mexico, and risking death for not heeding the warning sign at the edge of Jericho Jackson's domain: This is Jericho's Road. Take the Other.

Inevitably, the cauldron boils over and the forces of Jericho Jackson and "Lupe"Chavez meet in bloody combat. In the midst of this battle on Mexican soil are Andy Pickard—longing to court and marry Bethel Brackett and live a peaceful life as an ex-Ranger—and Brackett himself, falling in love with Teresa, Big Jim McCawley's half-Mexican daughter.

Jericho's Road, the sixth book in Kelton's acclaimed Texas Ranger series, typifies "the right blend of action, drama, romance, humor and suspense" that Publishers Weekly said has made Kelton "a master of both plot and character development."

About the author

Elmer Kelton was born on April 29, 1926 in west Texas. He earned a degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin and served in Europe during World War II. He worked as a livestock and farm writer for The San Angelo Standard-Times and later as an editor for the specialized publications Sheep and Goat Raiser magazine and Livestock Weekly while writing part-time. He wrote more than 60 books which earned him numerous awards and recognitions. He won the Spur award from Western Writers of America six times for his titles Buffalo Wagons, The Day the Cowboys Quit, The Time It Never Rained, Eye of the Hawk, Slaughter, and The Far Canyon. Four of his titles have won the Western Heritage Award from the National Cowboy Hall of Fame, Oklahoma City. In addition, he received the Barbara McCombs/Lon Tinkle Award and the Levi Strauss Golden Saddleman Award from the Western Writers of America. His title The Good Old Boys was made into a television movie in 1995. Kelton also wrote under the pseudonyms Alex Hawk, Lee McElroy and Tom Early. He died on August 22, 2009 at the age of 83.