Outlaw Ford

"Outlaw Ford rides shotgun between True Grit and Lonesome Dove. Part coming-of-age novel, part family saga, Outlaw Ford tells the tale of Les Ford from his birth on a railroad handcar: "You shot right out in the rain, bounced clean over the edge," his Ma recalls. "Pulled you back, yanking hand over fist on your cord." As the 19th century shoots into the 20th, and Les rides from boy toward manhood, his trail ranges wide from California to Louisiana and back to the Great Plains where he hears whispers of an outlaw so fierce he's known as Old Death Himself. Along the way Les is faced with many a crossroad question: Will he turn in a relative for killing? Will he earn the respect, or even the notice, of his parents? Can he survive the knotted twists in the family tree that lead to a final encounter with Old Death Himself?"--Back cover.