From the New York Times bestselling author of the Harmony McLain and Whispering Moutain series' Gambling man Lewton Paterson wants to marry into a respectable family. After fleecing a train ticket, Lewt makes his way to Whispering Mountain. But seducing a well-bred woman is hard, and Lewt realizes that to entice a McMurray sister, he'll need to learn a thing or two about ranching-and love.

In the 2014 midterm election, Democrats in Texas did not receive even 40 percent of the statewide vote; Republicans swept the tables both in Texas and nationally. But even after two decades of democratic losses, there is a path to turn Texas blue, argues Mary Beth Rogers - if Democrats are smart enough to see and follow it. Rogers is the last person to successfully campaign-manage a Democrat, Governor Ann Richards, to the statehouse in Austin. In a lively narrative, Rogers tells the story of how Texas moved so far to the right in such a short time and how Democrats might be able to move it back to the center. And, argues Rogers, that will mean a lot more of an effort than simply waiting for the state's demographics to shift even further towards Hispanics - a risky proposition at best. Rogers identifies a ten-point path for Texas Democrats to win at the statewide level and to build a base vote that would allow Texas to become a swing-vote player in national politics once again. One part of that shift starts with local Democratic candidates in local Republican communities making the connection between controversial local issues or problems and the statewide Republican policies that ignore or create them. For example, in a 2014 election in Denton-a Republican suburb-voters approved Texas's first ban on hydraulic fracking. The next day, though, a Republican Texas agency official announced that Texas would not honor the town's vote to ban. No democratic candidate picked up the issue. Change won't come easily, argues Rogers. But if Texas shifts to even a pale shade of purple, it changes everything in American politics today.

"A Texas Blue Bonnet" by Caroline Emilia Jacobs is a heartwarming literary journey that beckons readers into the vibrant landscapes and rich cultural tapestry of Texas. Jacobs' evocative storytelling transports us to a place of natural beauty and profound heritage, where the spirit of the Lone Star State comes alive on the pages. Through vivid descriptions and endearing characters, this book provides an engaging and insightful exploration of Texas, making it a delightful read for those seeking to discover the unique charm and character of this iconic region through the eyes of a skilled writer.

A historical overview of Mexican Americans' social and economic experiences in Texas For hundreds of years, Mexican Americans in Texas have fought against political oppression and exclusion—in courtrooms, in schools, at the ballot box, and beyond. Through a detailed exploration of this long battle for equality, this book illuminates critical moments of both struggle and triumph in the Mexican American experience. Martha Menchaca begins with the Spanish settlement of Texas, exploring how Mexican Americans’ racial heritage limited their incorporation into society after the territory’s annexation. She then illustrates their political struggles in the nineteenth century as they tried to assert their legal rights of citizenship and retain possession of their land, and goes on to explore their fight, in the twentieth century, against educational segregation, jury exclusion, and housing covenants. It was only in 1967, she shows, that the collective pressure placed on the state government by Mexican American and African American activists led to the beginning of desegregation. Menchaca concludes with a look at the crucial roles that Mexican Americans have played in national politics, education, philanthropy, and culture, while acknowledging the important work remaining to be done in the struggle for equality.

Talkin' Union tells the groundbreaking history of Texas women pecan shellers and garment workers who organized for economic and social equality in the '30s. Researchers with People's History in Texas relied on first-hand oral histories and extensive archival research to bring this story to life in 1979. Their material had limited distribution and is published with a 2019 introduction making this history available to a new generation. The Pecan Shellers Strike is now acknowledged as an historic mass movement and the foundation for Hispanic organizing for a generation. The Texas garment workers who organized in the '30s with the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union have never received the attention they deserve. Essays from 1979 about African American women and Chicanas in the Texas workforce capture the beginning of a sea change in women's workforce participation that would soon transform women's lives, family dynamics, and the U.S. economy.