The Big Thicket — Jerry Craven

Set in East Texas in 1870s, The Big Thicket is a tale of people in the wildest part of the American frontier, the Big Thicket, where law is sometimes only a rumor. There is Venna who has the reputation of roaming the Thicket at night as a wolf and witching rain out of the stars. There's Lucius Simmons, an ex-slave and the woman he loves who struggle to find a preacher willing to marry a mixed race couple. There's Tim Coke who discovers some disturbing family secrets and who must challenge friends and family to prevent a hanging. It is the tale of the beginning of the industries that in our time have decimated the forest. This novel will keep you turning pages and will leave you with much to ponder.