Texas Blood: Seven Generations Among the Outlaws, Ranchers, Indians, Missionaries, Soldiers, and Smugglers of the Borderlands

Texas Blood depicts a rugged and unforgiving landscape bearing witness to the struggles of basic survival. Roger Hodge was born in Texas, living on a farm, working as a stablehand. He experienced the tough terrain of the land, the brutality of the climate as seasons passed. The family roots of his ancestors were Scots-Irish, who weren’t known for being a laid back people. They fought for their land, their dollars, and their lives. The backdrop to his family’s history is wars fought for the very soul of Texas, whether they be between Sam Houston and the Spanish in the 1830’s or between Native American tribes. Hodge’s tale is interspersed with the current battles being waged at the border to limit illegal immigration or the futile war on the Mexican drug lords. The literature of Texas is also examined via the works of Cormac McCarthy. The darkness enveloping the thriller of No Country for Old Men is looked at differently by the author than how others viewed it at its release. The beauty and darkness of this large state are pre-dominant throughout.

Texas Blood is an unflinching take on the Lone Star State. It is a biography but also a critical take on the larger-than-life personas that lived and died there. One could get sidetracked with each changing chapter, but the ride is ultimately fruitful. An excellent release for the new year!