And the Rains Never Came

About the Book

This is a story about the West Texas drought of the 1950s, written by a man who as a teenage boy grew up on a drought-stricken Schleicher County ranch during those years. Seven years of relentless dry weather saw crops writher, top soil blown away, farms lost, and ranches forced into bankruptcy. Lakes went dry, towns were short of drinking water, and dust storms were numerous. Cowboys became oil field roughnecks. Farmers became store clerks. The drought changed West Texas forever. For some, the drought tore families apart, but the main characters of this story relied on each other to get through the tough times. This book, therefore, is also a love story about two people who met and married in a faraway place and who returned to his family’s Menard County ranch to put down their roots, only to see their dreams dashed by the drought. They were forced to make some bold decisions, but through it all they hung on to each other, which allowed their close relationship to blossom into an incredible love affair.

About the Author

Jerry Doyle is the youngest son of a ranch foreman and a cowboy's wife, and grew up on ranches in Val Verde County, Sutton County, and Schleicher County, Texas, during the 1940s and 1950s. He spent most of his formative years between a hat and a horse when he wasn't in school.

Jerry graduated from Eldorado (Texas) High School in May 1959. Cowboying, driving 18 wheelers, and shoeing horses, he worked his way through college. He earned an Associate of Arts degree from San Angelo Junior College, a BS from Texas Tech University, and a MED from Texas State University. Jerry spent three decades in education as a teacher and an administrator. The last eighteen years of his career, he was a public school superintendent.

Jerry and his wife, Heavia, met in college on a blind date and have been each other's permanent date ever since. He and his wife have probably danced a million miles together. Their honeymoon has never ended. They have been married for fifty-four years and have two children and two grandchildren.