The Westering Trail Travesties: Five Little-Known Tales of the Old West that Probably Ought to a' Stayed that Way

A 2023 Will Rogers Medallion Award-winner, The Westering Trail Travesties encompasses five Western tales, ranging from the surreal to the tear-jerker—told in a crucible of parody.

In Rumors from the Edge of the World, Kid Concho and his Arizona outlaw gang of misfits stumble upon a prophetic Apache spring. Too Long in the Saddle follows the exploits of a Boston newspaper reporter who is ordered on assignment to frontier Kansas.

During Code of the Ranger, one man travels with a quartet of Arizona Rangers who—without extradition papers—must ride undercover into Texas to bring back Bad Bob Banning. In Gourd, fourteen-year-old Curtis Blaydes continues to run his family’s homestead after losing his father and mother, until a visitor arrives. Niobrara introduces a notable triangle of youngsters in northern Nebraska.

In the vast landscapes of the Old West, these five unexpected tales weave together a tapestry of human resilience, raw adventure, and the oftentimes humorous spirit of the untamed frontier.

“...a new mold for the Old West.” —Green Valley News