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An Evening with James Wade

STIBF Presents:
An Evening with James Wade



James Wade

Main Library at 4001 N. 23rd St., McAllen
Thursday, October 8, 2026  |  7:00PM


Spend an evening with award-winning Texas author James Wade for a conversation about books, writing, and the stories that have shaped his work. Known for novels set against the rugged landscapes of Texas and the American West, Wade will share more about his writing life, his characters, and the inspiration behind his stories.

Purchase Tickets

    

 

Book Signings with James Wade

Meet & Greet
Award-Winning
Texas Author!

James Wade at STIBF

Connect
Through Stories
& Conversation!

James Wade Signing Books

Commemorate
with a Personalized
Signed Copy!

 

Your Ticket Includes
$20 Per Ticket: Purchase Ticket

A Copy of "The Narrow Road"
Take home a copy of James Wade's novel as part of your ticket.

Complimentary Refreshments
Enjoy refreshments during this special evening at Main Library.

Meet & Greet
Meet James Wade and commemorate the evening with a personalized signed copy.

 

About the Featured Author

Biography:

James Wade was awarded the 2026 Dobie Paisano Fellow from the University of Texas at Austin. His latest novel, Narrow the Road, won the 2026 Western Heritage Award for Outstanding Novel. James is the youngest novelist to win two Spur Awards from the Western Writers of America, and the recipient of the MPIBA’s prestigious Reading the West Award. His debut novel, All Things Left Wild, was listed as one of the most influential westerns of the 21st century by True West Magazine and included in the Los Angeles Times's 1,001 Novels: A Library of America. His Southern Gothic mystery, Beasts of the Earth, was named a Best Book of 2022 by both Deep South Magazine and The Southern Review of Books. James is a four-time finalist for the Austin Chronicle's Best Writer in Austin award, and his non-fiction work has appeared in Texas Highways, Writers’ Digest, and numerous additional publications. James was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters in 2026. He lives and writes in the Texas Hill Country with his wife and children.
Featured Book: Narrow the Road

Narrow the Road by James WadeIn this gripping coming-of-age odyssey, a young man's quest to reunite his family takes him on a life-altering journey through the wilds of 1930s East Texas, where both danger and opportunity grow as thick as the pines.

With his father missing and his mother gravely ill, William Carter is struggling to keep his family's cotton farm afloat in the face of drought and foreclosure. As his options wane, William receives a mysterious letter that claims to know his father's whereabouts.

Together with his best friend Ollie, a mortician in training, William sets out to find his father and bring him home to set things right. But before the boys can complete their quest, they must navigate the labyrinth of the Big Thicket, some of the country's most uncharted, untamed land. Along the way they encounter eccentric backwoods characters of every order, running afoul of murderers, bootleggers, and even the legendary Bonnie and Clyde.

But the danger is doubled when the boys agree to take on a medicine show runaway named Lena, eliciting the ire of the show's leader, the nefarious con man Doctor Downtain. As William, Ollie, and Lena race to uncover the clues and find William's father, Downtain is closing in on them, readying to make good on his violent reputation. With the clock ticking, William must decide where his loyalties lie and how far he's willing to go for the people he loves.

From award-winning author James Wade, Narrow the Road is a riveting exploration of a young man's hard-won coming-of-age and the courageous ways a person can forge a singular path in the face of overwhelming adversity. Alive with grit and tenderness, this is an unforgettable story of the power of friendship to sustain us through loss, betrayal, and devastating consequence.

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