“Storiesaboutfamily,legacy,marriage,divorce,religion,allofthemplayedoutinrelentlessweatherandunderanall-encompassingsky....Thesefemalewriterscomefromastoriedplacemostoftendescribedfromtheperspectiveofthemencreditedwithshapingit....Thiscollectionaddsinsightfuldimensiontoasurprisinglyinspiringplace.“--FortWorthStar-Telegram“Amovingandengagingcollectionofshortstoriesoftensetindemandingruralconditions....Welearnhowtheseeminglyblank,barrenexpansethatisWestTexasisreallyalandscapeofsublimeandsubtleopulence....Beyondsurvival,anythinghardyenoughtoendureheredoesn’tmerelyexist,butthrivesandflourishes.Thestoriesthesewomenhavetotellproveexactlythat.“--ElPasoTimes“ThefullnessofregionallifeissoengaginglychronicledherethatyoumayneveragainthinkofWestTexaswithoutunderstandingthepassionsinspiredbythisseeminglyemptyland....Thewomenfeaturedinthiscollection...focusoncontrastsbetweentheyoungandold,theEastandWest,thewetandthedry,thenewandtheoldsocialnorms....Thiscollectionaddsinsightfuldimensiontoasurprisinglyinspiringplace.“--PhiladelphiaInquirer“ThevastskieswestofFortWorthhavecapturedtheendlessspacetheseauthorslove.Thisanthology...givesvoicetotheiridentitiesandtheirconnectionstoplaceandthepeoplewholivethere.“--ReviewofTexasBooks“The26contemporarywomenwritersfeaturedin[this]newanthologyhaveonethingincommon:WestTexas....Allhavebeentouched,inspired,orinsomewayaffectedbythelandscape,thepeople,theclimate,thehistory,theisolation,thesenseofplace....Theessays,memoirs,andshortstoriesincludedherecoverarangeoftopics,approaches,interests,emotions,andwritingstyles.Somearehumorous,otherspoignant.Sometakeanacademicapproachtotheirsubject,othersarerawandpersonal.Thewritingillustratesthediversity,notonlyofthewomenselectedforthisanthology,butoftheregionitself“--GlennDromgoole,LubbockAvalanche-JournalThevast,disparateregioncalledWestTexasisbothsparselypopulatedandscarcelyrecognized.Yetithasgivenvoicetoasurprisingnumberofwomenwriterswhohaveleftmorethanafaintimpressiononitshardscrabbleterrainandconsciousness.Thesewritersdomuchmorethanevokethelandanditscelebratedskies.Oftenwithhumorandalwayswithempathy,theymanagetopegnearlyeveryWestTexasexperience,includinghowWestTexansrespondtohardships,blessings,friendships,loneliness,tragedy,andyes,evensandstorms.Theshortstoriesandessaysinthiscollection,throughastrongemphasisonindividualtriumphsandfailures,remindWestTexansoftheirheritageandsharewithallreadersanunderstandingofwhatitmeanstoliveintheendlessspacetheseauthorsknowsowell.“WestTexaslatitudeinspiresitsoccupantstomakenewbeginnings,toexplorespiritualresponsetothebeautyofsunrisesandsunsets,andtoachieveunderstandingofthepeoplecomingandgoingintheirdailylives.“--LouHalsellRodenberger,fromtheIntroduction
DIVORCE WRITING legacy WIND FRIENDSHIPS INSPIRED religion MARRIAGE
