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Tales of the Lawless Land
historical adventure
Series · western
Hewey Calloway
The Hewey Calloway series by Elmer Kelton has 6 books and is best read in publication order, starting with The Good Old Boys (1978). Elmer Kelton wrote the series; it was continued by Steve Kelton, then John Bradshaw.
- Books
- 6 books
- First published
- 1978
- Status
- ongoing
- Last checked
Start here: The Good Old Boys (1978) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
The Good Old Boys
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Good Old Boys - Book 2:
The Smiling Country
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Smiling Country - Book 3:
Six Bits a Day
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Six Bits a Day - Book 4:
Elmer Kelton's The Unlikely Lawman
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Elmer Kelton's The Unlikely Lawman - Book 5:
Elmer Kelton's The Familiar Stranger
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Elmer Kelton's The Familiar Stranger - Book 6:
Elmer Kelton's The Blessing
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Elmer Kelton's The Blessing
About the Hewey Calloway series
Hewey Calloway is a footloose, endearingly unambitious cowboy in early-1900s West Texas -- happier drifting from ranch to ranch and outfit to outfit than settling down, in gentle, comic tension with his more responsible younger brother Walter, who wants to marry and farm. Elmer Kelton wrote the first three books over nearly three decades (The Good Old Boys, 1978; The Smiling Country, 1998; Six Bits a Day, 2005), returning to the character intermittently across his career; The Good Old Boys was adapted into a 1995 TNT television film starring Tommy Lee Jones.
After Kelton's death in 2009, the Elmer Kelton estate authorized his son, Steve Kelton, to continue the series -- The Unlikely Lawman (2022) and The Familiar Stranger (2024, co-written with John Bradshaw) -- and then selected Bradshaw alone to continue it further with The Blessing (2025), which won a Will Rogers Medallion Award. All three continuation novels are published as "Elmer Kelton's" under the character's original creator's name, with the actual writers credited alongside him.
Frequently asked questions
Who writes the Hewey Calloway series?
Elmer Kelton wrote the series; it was continued by Steve Kelton, then John Bradshaw.
How many Hewey Calloway books are there?
Six: three by Elmer Kelton himself (1978-2005), and three posthumous, estate-sanctioned continuations (2022-2025) by his son Steve Kelton and, later, writer John Bradshaw.
Is Hewey Calloway still being continued after Elmer Kelton's death?
Yes -- the Elmer Kelton Estate authorized Steve Kelton (Elmer's son) to continue the series starting with The Unlikely Lawman (2022), and later selected John Bradshaw to continue it further with The Blessing (2025); all are published under the Elmer Kelton name with the actual writer credited.
Was The Good Old Boys adapted for film or TV?
Yes -- a 1995 TNT television movie starring Tommy Lee Jones as Hewey Calloway.
If you like the Hewey Calloway series
Reading order last verified .