LSBBT The Big Empty by Loren Steffy

 

THE BIG EMPTY

by

LOREN C. STEFFY

Genre: Western / Rural Fiction / Small Town

Publisher: Stoney Creek Publishing Group

Date of Publication: May 25, 2021

Number of Pages: 304 pages 

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When Trace Malloy and Blaine Witherspoon collide on a desolate West Texas highway, their fender bender sets the tone for escalating clashes that will determine the future of the town of Conquistador.

Malloy, a ranch manager and lifelong cowboy, knows that his occupation—and his community—are dying. He wants new- millennium opportunities for his son, even though he himself failed to summon the courage to leave familiar touchstones behind.

Witherspoon, an ambitious, Lexus-driving techie, offers a solution. He moves to Conquistador to build and run a state-of-the-art semiconductor plant that will bring prestige and high-paying technology jobs to revive the town—and advance his own career.

What neither man anticipates is the power the "Big Empty" will wield over their plans. The flat, endless expanse of dusty plain is as much a character in the conflict as are the locals struggling to subsist in this timeworn backwater and the high-tech transplants hell-bent on conquering it. While Malloy grapples with the flaws of his ancestors and his growing ambivalence toward the chip plant, Witherspoon falls prey to construction snafus, corporate backstabbing, and financial fraud. As they each confront personal fears, they find themselves united in the search for their own version of purpose in a uniquely untamable Texas landscape.

PRAISE FOR THE BIG EMPTY:

“The Big Empty” captures a moment when Big Tech seemingly promised everything. By turns funny and painful, Steffy’s story builds like an accelerating freight train, reaching a fast-paced climax.”

— The Epoch Times

"Like the titular land itself, Steffy’s novel is uncompromising in spotlighting the strains that the drive toward material achievement puts on the individual in the face of nature’s whims.”

— Southern Review of Books

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Loren C. Steffy is the author of five nonfiction books. He is a writer at large for Texas Monthly, and his work has appeared in newspapers and magazines nationwide. He has previously worked for news organizations including Bloomberg and the Houston Chronicle, and he is a managing director for 30 Point Strategies, where he leads the 30 Point Press publishing imprint. His is a frequent guest on radio and television programs and is the co-host of the Rational Middle podcast. The Big Empty is his first novel. Steffy holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Texas A&M University. He lives in Wimberley, Texas, with his wife, three dogs and an ungrateful cat.

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The Big Empty; what a great title. I was excited to read this first work of fiction by Texas writer Loren Steffy, and I was not disappointed. I will admit it took me a few chapters to really get into the story, but once I did, I was hooked.

This is the story of two men, Trace Malloy and Blaine Witherspoon who are on a collision course that will leave both damaged.  The town of Conquistador sprang up around a once-massive ranch in West Texas. The town is shrinking as the ranch struggles to survive. Trace is the ranch manager. Riding to the rescue is newcomer Blaine Witherspoon and his spanking new high-tech company. Once up and running it promises to bring economic prosperity and jobs back to Conquistador.

Trace has never known anything but the cowboy life, a life handed down from father to son for generations. But he has hopes for his own son, something better than wrangling cows. He can’t see a future for his boy. Blaine is blinded by arrogance and his narrow view of the world to the beauty of the land and life in rural America. He is also blinded to the problems of his own son.

The Big Empty is more than a story about two men. It’s the tragic clash of cultures. The old ways fighting to stay alive against the onslaught of technology and progress. The book’s mournful tone grieves the passing of a way of life.

The book is well written with a steady pace that gradually reveals the stories behind the story. The characters are believable, neither Trace or Blaine are drawn in black or white, each man is nuanced and well-depicted. I was captivated by the vivid descriptions of the land and the ranching community. Although set in modern time, it has a feel of historical fiction as you know you are reading about a way of life that is firmly anchored in the past. The ending was satisfying in a bittersweet but realistic way. I would highly recommend this book to readers with an interest in Texas, the old West and those who can appreciate a well written tale.

I give this book 5 Stars. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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