4 Counties — Crossin' the Brazos

The third and final segment of the trilogy comes to life in 4 Counties…  Crossin’ The Brazos. Kenny Wayne Harris and crew take a back seat to the man who settled Harris Ranches, Mutt Harris, with his faithful compadre Banjo Matthews.  Follow Kenny’s forerunners from their humble beginnings on the mean streets of Memphis and New Orleans to the Texas Revolution to the Civil War to fighting the Wichita Indians for a piece of ground that would become known around the world as Harris Ranches.  Kenny Wayne and crew close out this life story in a way only they could.

Praise for Crossin' the Brazos

James Wayland Long brings an honorable and deeply satisfying, emotional end to the saga of Kenny Wayne Harris in the final book of his 4 Counties trilogy, "Crossing' the Brazos." In his Forward, Long lets the reader in on his secret. The character of Kenny Wayne Harris was inspired by men Long has had the honor and pleasure of knowing, working with, observing, and admiring his entire life. Long comments that, "Texas is full of awesome ranch family dynasties, led by wonderful people who would give a man the shirt off their back." Kenny Wayne is such a man and he forged such a dynasty throughout the 4 Counties trilogy beginning with "The Story of the Last King" and continuing with "The Last Bus to Balmorhea."

In "Crossing' the Brazos" we are introduced to the rich history of the Harris Ranches and the beginning of the dynasty through the discovery of long buried caves on the ranch that only come to light following epic tornadoes and flooding on the Harris Ranches during 2015. A treasure trove of historical artifacts are revealed and there begins the story of Mutt Harris and Banjo Matthews.

One of the artifacts, a memoir by Banjo Matthews of his life and adventures with Mutt Harris, comprises most of the rest of the novel, as the reader learns exactly how the Harris Ranches came to be, and the criminal and dicey, ignoble activities of Mutt and Banjo during the early years prior to their becoming Texas Rangers. Mutt and Banjo and a motley cast of other characters keep the reader on edge and entertained in a wild whirlwind through Texas history and its cast of characters including Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin, Davy Crocket, and Santa Anna.

In the end, Kenny is described as, "Just a simple cowman." That understatement is what makes Long's masterful storytelling so addicting. Fans of Ferber's "Giant" and McMurtry's "Lonesome Dove" will not be disappointed by Long's epic tale.

Michele Campbell