An Award-Winning Literary Western of Faith and Forbidden Love

"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

"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 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.

"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

"A powerful blend of love, social justice, and spirituality. The Ballad of Midnight and McRae is a tour-de-force that could change how people see the world by opening their eyes to magic, adventures, and inclusion..."

—The Inkish Review

Featuring guest appearances by Frederick Douglass, John Horse, Wovoka the Prophet-Dreamer, and Nicholas Black Elk.

Winner of Literary Titan's Gold Star Award