For Caleb McRae--devout Baptist, Texas Ranger, hero of the Wild
West--life's simple enough: lawmen bring bad guys to justice, and hellfire's a
sinner's fate. At least it seems that way, until he falls in love with the
notorious outlaw, Henry Midnight...
Thomas Anderson of Literary Titan calls The Ballad of Midnight and McRae
"wildly entertaining" and recommends it "to lovers of literary fiction, fans
of Cormac McCarthy or Marilynne Robinson, and anyone who believes that stories
still have the power to save."
Poet Malcolm Guite writes, "In the story of Midnight and McRae we are enabled
to hear the long conversation between Pagan and Christian, and within
Christianity between protestant and catholic. and on a personal level between
father and son, between lover and beloved, and deep within ourselves, the
conversation between the person we are pretending to be and the person we
really are. And all these vital conversations are enfolded in and arise from a
compelling story set on the frontiers, the badlands, and the formative days of
America itself, the place where so many of these conversations need to take
place."
“Wildly entertaining… Jess Lederman writes with a fierce
tenderness, blending lyrical prose with grit and grace.”
—Thomas Anderson, Editor-in-Chief of Literary Titan
Review
Historical fiction is difficult to get right because fact and fiction are opposites but must appear side by side in this genre. Jess Lederman understands that and really manages to meld the two together.
The story pulls you in effortlessly. Great character development plus excellent dialogue made this a fast read.
Honor and loyalty are tested, who we really are and who we think we are come to light. Caleb is a multi-layered character who's loyalty, duty and faith are set in stone, until they aren't. I really enjoyed his personal journey.
The writing is crisp, with a great attention to detail and closing up loose ends as the story went on.
About the Author
Jess Lederman lives with his wife and young son in Southern California,
where he writes historical fiction. His debut novel, Hearts Set Free, was an
award-winning Amazon best-seller. When he's not writing or playing with his
son, he's usually at the piano playing Chopin and Brahms for his wife.
August 28, 2025
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