The final opening of the Indian lands in what is now part of present-day Oklahoma was a turbulent time. Luther and Fionna McCracken and their children sought a new beginning on the Medicine Bundle Grasslands, hoping to escape past unhappiness. Instead, they found themselves caught up in a struggle against both the law and lawless they couldn't ignore if they were to make their dreams a reality. The final crushing dilemma came when their son joined the ranchers who were fighting to stop what they saw as an invasion by the homesteaders. And when the boy's rebellion turned to outright banditry, the McCrackens had to face the catastrophic consequences. Patrick E. Andrews was born in Oklahoma in 1936 into a family of pioneers who participated in its growth from the Indian Territory and Oklahoma Territory to statehood. His father's family were homesteaders and his mother's cattle ranchers. Consequently, he is among the last generation of American writers who had contacts with those people from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Patrick's wife Julie says he both speaks and writes with an Oklahoma accent.He is an ex-paratrooper, having served in the 82nd Airborne Division in the active army and the 12th Special Forces Group in the army reserves. Patrick began his writing career after leaving the army. He and his better half presently reside in southern California. He has a son Bill, who is an ex-paratrooper and a probation officer, and two grandchildren.
