The Smiling Country (Hewey Calloway)
Hewey Calloway, an aging cowhand in 1910 Texas, doesn't like what he sees around him: automobiles are replacing buckboards, trucks are replacing mules, and--worst of all--his boss wants him to stop busting broncs. When nephew Tommy runs away from home and winds up on Hewey's crew at the Circle W, events are set in motion that will alter Hewey's life in ways he never expected. First, he runs into Spring Renfro, the schoolteacher he loved but gave up for the freedom of the range. Second, he runs into trouble with a new foreman at the Circle W and then gets busted up by a mean ol' bronc. His injuries take him back to Tommy's parents' home to recuperate, and suddenly it seems Miss Renfro may be more receptive to courtship than he first thought. Calloway first appeared in Kelton'sGood Old Boys(1978), which was made into a fine movie with Tommy Lee Jones and Sissy Spacek. Kelton is a genuine craftsman with an ear for dialogue and, more importantly, an understanding of the human heart. Calloway is one of the most memorable characters in recent western fiction, even though he doesn't carry a gun and would probably run away from a bad guy. But his heart is as big as the open range, and it's ever so easy to root for his happiness. An exceptional sequel.Wes Lukowsky--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.