A Bandit, a Baptist, and the Texas Badlands
Henry Midnight is no ordinary bandit. He’s educated, spiritual, and hilariously irreverent. He robs from the rich, gives generously to the Jesuits, and believes the Hopi legends of Tawa and Spider Grandmother. Mostly.
Caleb McRae is a God-fearing Texas Ranger, hell-bent on bringing the wicked to justice. His greatest hope is that he can take Henry Midnight to the gallows, and most important of all, lead him to Christ, lest he burn forever in the flames of perdition.
Naturally, each man is exactly what the other man needs. Nobody is more amused than Henry Midnight. Nobody is more appalled than Caleb McRae.
"Featuring star-crossed lovers, intense action, myth, and magic, The Ballad of Midnight and McRae enthralled me…”
—Ami McConnell, founder of Writerfest Nashville and former Editor-in-Chief of Howard Books/Simon & Schuster
An award-winning work of historical literary fiction
“The Ballad of Midnight and McRae is an expansive and soulful journey through the deserts of the American West, both literal and emotional. At its heart is the improbable bond between two men: Caleb McRae, a zealous Texas Ranger with a hunger for justice and salvation, and Henry Midnight, a cultured outlaw with a poetic soul and a penchant for righteous mischief. Their chase through the Chihuahuan Desert turns into a spiritual odyssey that spans decades, delving into themes of faith, justice, identity, and the mysteries of love and grace. It’s part Western, part myth, and entirely its own genre. A ballad in the truest sense, where history, theology, and folklore collide.
“Reading this book was like sitting around a campfire with an old storyteller who knew just when to drop his voice, when to make you laugh, and when to break your heart. Jess Lederman writes with a fierce tenderness, blending lyrical prose with grit and grace. The writing burns—sometimes with beauty, sometimes with the pain of recognition. I didn’t expect to feel so much for Caleb and Henry, but I did. Their philosophical sparring, their vulnerability, and their moments of silence spoke louder than gunfire ever could. I loved that the novel doesn’t hand you clean answers—it wrestles with God, with sin, with longing, and never lets go.
“But this isn’t just a heady book full of big questions—it’s also wildly entertaining. There are gunfights, stampedes, firestorms, and even a cougar that lets you suckle milk from her belly. Lederman throws curveballs and magic into the dust of the Old West, and it all works.
“The Ballad of Midnight and McRae is a tale for the seeker, the wanderer, the broken-hearted believer, and the stubborn skeptic. It’s for anyone who’s ever chased something they didn’t fully understand and found themselves in the process. I’d recommend 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.”
—Thomas Anderson, Editor-in-Chief of Literary Titan
Featuring guest appearances by Frederick Douglass, John Horse, Wovoka the Prophet-Dreamer, and Nicholas Black Elk.
“I’d be shocked if Lederman’s story isn’t in your Top Five novels of the year.
Yes, it’s that good.”
—James L. Rubart, bestselling author of Rooms and The Five Times I Met Myself
“[A] richly humane Western exploring love, justice, and myth with moral urgency.”
—A BookLife Reviews "Editor's Pick"
“…poignant, intriguing, and soulful…”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Lederman’s rich cast of characters will pitch camp in your head and refuse to leave. A brilliant novel…”
—R.S. Ingermanson, best-selling author of the City of God and Crown of Thorns series
"This is a remarkable book. In a polarized world, where there are fewer and fewer safe spaces for conversation between those who disagree, between those who inhabit different world views, Jess Lederman invites us into a story where just such conversations can and do happen, where opposites meet and find new understandings and so much to share. 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."
—Malcolm Guite, English poet and Anglican priest, author of Sounding the Seasons: Seventy Sonnets for the Christian Year
"This was a great story that held my attention from start to finish. So many elements of this story were well done. The sense of place and time, of family, guilt, culture, and faith and love are so richly layered. I found I was genuinely invested in the characters. Composed with unassuming wisdom and grace, The Ballad of Midnight and McRae is an exhilarating testament to the human spirit."
—On a Reading Bender
"...truly one of a kind... It is rare to find a romantic relationship written in a way that properly encompasses the true familiarity and love that two people have towards one another... I would rate this book 5 out of 5 for the incredible storytelling and excellent character building."
—Sindu Manivannan, OnlineBookClub
"Loved it! This is a book as wide and deep as the western landscape in which it's set, full of imagination, bound together with love and faith."
—Rachel Deeming, Reedsy