The novel is set in west texas during the 50s elmer kelton wrote in the prologue of the time it never rained. In the books prologue, kelton both introduces the drought that will last through the bulk of the book while making reference to past droughts of the twentieth century. The time it never rained was inspired by actual events, when the longest and most severe drought in living memory pressed ranchers and farmers to the outer. The time it never rained by elmer kelton goodreads. The time it never rained kindle edition by kelton, elmer. The time it never rained is a 1973 western novel by the american author elmer kelton. The time it never rained texas cooperative extension 2003 dvd sp147 three informational videos. Elmer kelton s the time it never rained absolutely accurately portrays ranch life in the 50s, the drought, and the effects on all who lived through it. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The time it never rained by elmer kelton book cover, description, publication history.
In the 1950s, west texas suffered the longest drought in the memory of most men then living. Eight kelton novels, buffalo wagons, the day the cowboys quit, the time it never rained, eyes of the hawk, slaughter, the far canyon, many a river, and the way of the coyote, have won spur awards from the western writers of america. Men grumbled, but you learned to live with the dry spells if you stayed in west texas. The time it never rained audiobook by elmer kelton. The time it never rained is an unusual western by elmer kelton. Elmer kelton 19262009 was awardwinning author of more than forty novels, including the time it never rained, other mens horses, texas standoff and hard trail to follow. Peers in the wwa also named him as the greatest western writer of all time. The central character is charlie flag, a tough old rancher from a bygone era who refuses to take government aid to survive the drought. Among his awards were seven spurs from western writers of america. The time it never rained helped convince the western writers of america to declare seventime spur awardwinner elmer kelton the greatest western writer of all time. The time it never rained was inspired by actual events, when the longest and most severe drought in living memory pressed ranchers and farmers to the outer limits of courage and endurance. Elmer kelton wrote in the prologue of the time it never rained. Elmer kelton 19262009 was the awardwinning author of more than forty novels, including the time it never rained, other mens horses, texas standoff and hard trail to follow.
The 1950s drought is a major character asserting itself. Elmer keltons new novel, the time it never rained, is one of the best american novels of the year. Elmer kelton rio seco was too small to afford a professional manager for its oneroom chamber of commerce. The 1950s drought is a major character asserting itself, maliciously and unceasingly, throughout the book. By that time, charlie flagg, the central character of this novel, was. The book tells the story of a west texas rancher in the 1950s who struggles through years of drought to maintain his farm on his own without sacrificing his values or independence. The time it never rained by elmer kelton, paperback barnes. The story is based around actual events specifically, the texas drought of the early 1950s which the author experienced both as a friend and relative of ranchers and as a reporter for the ranching industry. He grew up on a ranch near crane, texas, and earned a journalism degree from the university of texas. When the book was first published, i knew of many who did not want to read it because the drought had been just too painful to relive.
Rio seco was too small to afford a professional manager for its oneroom chamber of commerce. But it didnt and many a boy would become a man before the land became green again. Forged from kelton s 1950s observations of droughtravaged west texas, this compelling novel tells the story of one ranchers struggle to maintain his independence despite the swirling winds of change. Forged from keltons 1950s observations of droughtravaged west texas, this compelling novel tells the story of one ranchers struggle to maintain his independence despite the swirling winds of change. Dee brown, author of bury my heart at wounded knee on the time it never rained. Among his awards were seven spurs from western writers of america and four western heritage awards from the national cowboy hall of fame. Here a reader meets fleshandblood people of an earlier time, in a story that will grab and hold you from the first to the last page.