Pub Date: July 26, 2021
Pages: 275
The Jackson’s Pond, Texas series grew from Jackson’s Pond, Texas, the first novel, a story of a rural town in the Texas Panhandle, a pond on a nearby ranch, and the Jackson family on whose ranch the pond is located. Then, the sequel, Slanted Light continued the saga, following the family matriarch, Willa Jackson, and the extended Jackson/Banks/Havlicek family and the town of Jackson’s Pond as Claire, Willa’s granddaughter encounters personal and professional crises that threaten her marriage, her businesses, and her children. Next, came Making It Home, bringing century-old Jackson family history and shame into sharp focus during troubled times in current day Jackson’s Pond. Each novel stands alone, but when read in sequence, they provide intriguing insights into life in a small Texas Panhandle town that manages to survive and the people determined to maintain family and community.
JACKSON’S POND, TEXAS: As a winter storm bears down on the Texas Panhandle, seventy-four-year-old Willa Jackson embarks on a plan to maintain her independence and fully realize her artistic talent. Her daughter, Melanie, is determined to take charge of her mother, although her hands are full of her own problems. Willa’s past, and that of Jackson’s Pond, Texas, the dying town named for the pond on their ranch, provides a backdrop for Willa’s determination to secure her own future and the future of her grandchildren. Willa challenges resistance from several directions, including from her own doubts, as she follows her creative heart.
SLANTED LIGHT: Teddy Jones’ earlier novel, Jackson’s Pond, Texas began the saga of the Jackson family. Now, Slanted Light continues their tale. Claire Havlicek’s late night call brings her brother Chris Banks from his home in New Mexico back to the town that bears their family name, Jackson’s Pond. She’s collapsed under the weight of threats to her thirteen-year marriage that have undermined her confidence and her will. Her husband, J.D., responds to seduction by a woman in need; theft and the threat of a forced buyout jeopardize Claire’s two clinics; drought imperils their ranch and cattle business; a teenage daughter turns to bulimia. When Claire admits her limits, her grandmother, Willa Jackson, and the other members of her family help her learn that being human, weaknesses and all, can be the source of strength and joy.
MAKING IT HOME: In Making It Home, the third novel in the Jackson’s Pond, Texas series, Melanie Jackson is haunted by learning of the Ku Klux Klan murder of an African American man on Jackson Ranch in 1920. Now, in 2014, a modern-day Klan group led by Justin Reese, a neighboring rancher, builds a center for racist and criminal activity on his property. Danger in the area escalates from vandalism to cross-burning; slaughter of prime livestock; homophobic threats against Melanie and Ray’s son, Chris Banks, and his partner, Andrew Mullins; domestic violence and a subsequent rescue of Justin Reese’s wife and children; and kidnapping of the Havlicek and Montoya children. In the midst of this stormy period, Melanie accedes to her mother, Willa Jackson’s, wishes and gives her away in marriage to her long-time companion, Robert Stanley, who has become Melanie’s ally as she forges a path to reconciliation with the family of Lincoln Berryhill, the man killed in 1920. She finds strength and resolve as she enlists her mother; her daughter, Claire Havlicek; her African American friend and colleague, Dolores Montoya; and others to atone for the near-century-old murder and assure safety and harmony in present day Jackson’s Pond.
Praise for Making It Home
“Making It Home could not be a more timely book… We live in an imperfect world, but it is still possible to think, imagine and make things better. The cast of characters in this strong family affirms this through their hope, decency, and tenacity!” —Eleanor Morse, author of Margreete’s Harbor
“Jones’ talent for creating indelible characters endures, as does her way with a compelling plot. … This is a timely page-turner.” Robin Lippincott, author of Blue Territory: A Meditation on the Life and Art of Joan Mitchell
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WINNERS
1st: Set of all three novels in the Jackson’s Pond, Texas Series;
2nd: $25 Gift Card + Copy of Nowhere Near
(US only; ends midnight, CDT, 8/6/2021)
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7/27/21 |
Notable Quotable |
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7/27/21 |
BONUS Promo |
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7/28/21 |
Review |
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7/28/21 |
BONUS Promo |
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7/29/21 |
Excerpt |
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7/30/21 |
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7/31/21 |
Scrapbook Page |
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8/1/21 |
Author Interview |
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8/2/21 |
Review |
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8/3/21 |
Series Spotlight |
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8/4/21 |
Review |
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8/5/21 |
Review |
