Michno, GregoryNew York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1973. 1^st edition. 373 pages. Hardcover with dustjacket. Hardcover book has two slightly bumped corners and some rubbing to the board edges as well as some scattered spots on the boards; still, condition is VERY GOOD. The dustjacket is price-clipped, the spine shows evidence of past wrinkling at the edges and there is one closed tear at the bottom edge of the dustjacket where the front panel of the spine meets the hinge. The color of the spine is slightly faded (very slightly) relative to the color of the front panel. Overall, VERY GOOD.

This novel was inspired by actual events. Specifically, a drought Texas experienced between 1949 and 1957 during which the state rainfall was significantly below normal while temperatures were above average. During the drought, Texans experienced the second-, third-, and eighth-driest single years on record – 1956, 1954, and 1951, respectively. The drought was described by a state water official as "the most costly and one of the most devastating droughts in 600 years.” This is a classic of Texas fiction. It pits the independence and determination of the individual facing an unrelenting natural challenge as well as the temptation of dealing with it by accepting government assistance and the strings inevitably attached to that assistance.