Jericho's Road

Written by Elmer Kelton

Narrated by Jonathan Davis

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."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 27, 2008
• ISBN: 9781440797446

Elmer Kelton

Elmer Kelton (1926-2009) was the award-winning author of more than forty novels, including The Time It Never Rained, Other Men’s Horses, Texas Standoff and Hard Trail to Follow. He grew up on a ranch near Crane, Texas, and earned a journalism degree from the University of Texas. His first novel, Hot Iron, was published in 1956. Among his awards were seven Spurs from Western Writers of America and four Western Heritage awards from the National Cowboy Hall of Fame. His novel The Good Old Boys was made into a television film starring Tommy Lee Jones. In addition to his novels, Kelton worked as an agricultural journalist for 42 years. He served in the infantry in World War II. He died in 2009.

Reviews for Jericho's Road

[fuzzi_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Worthy installment in the Texas Ranger series, continuing Andy's experiences as a Ranger. This time he and a less than friendly acquaintance are sent to the Texas/Mexico border due to increasing hostilities between residents on both side of the river. Good read, liked the character development, too.