Join First Light Books for an evening with Jason Stone, whose debut novel tells the story of a Texas Ranger who returns home to find his ranch in flames, his wife dying, and his two sons carried off by a Kiowa war party.

What follows is a decades-long search across the frontier, a boy's transformation under the tutelage of Comanche chief Quanah Parker, and an aging Charles Goodnight reckoning with the violent history he helped shape. The Beauty of Days Gone By is an epic Western in the tradition of Lonesome Dove and Blood Meridian, drawn from real events, real journals, and the real landscape of West Texas.

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A reception with the author will take place from 6:00 to 6:30 PM, followed by the conversation at 6:30 PM and a signing to close the evening. Tickets include a copy of the book and a reserved seat. Unreserved seats are available on a first come, first served basis. Free RSVPs are also encouraged.

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About the book

Inspired by real events, The Beauty of Days Gone By weaves two timelines: the brutal post-Civil War frontier, where former Texas Ranger RL Terry and legendary cattleman Charles Goodnight scour Comancheria in search of Terry's kidnapped sons, and the 1920s, where a ninety-year-old Goodnight reflects on his role in the calamitous clash of cultures that defined the American West. Stone draws on contemporary journals, testimony, and historical records to create a cinematic, vivid, and impeccably rendered Western novel.

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"A magnificent chronicle of the taming of West Texas. Beautifully written, fully researched." —Dennis McCarthy, author of The Gospel According to Billy the Kid

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About the author

Jason Stone grew up in West Texas and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin. He lives in San Antonio. The Beauty of the Days Gone By is his debut novel.

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