The newest book available through Purple Feather Press is now out! Look for "A Southern Lady in Cow Country: A Love Story" by Lucy Foster Miller and Beth Francell in local Fort Davis and Alpine shops as well as online!
Written as a memoir, this book blends some of the genealogy of the Miller family in Fort Davis, Texas with historical events throughout the 20th century that impacted families and ranchers alike. Droughts, earthquakes, travel before there were highways, fixing fences, observing the night sky, military service, horseback riding, and so much more, all told from Lucy's experience.
Official Press Release:
New Book Release! Announcing a new book edited by Fort Davis resident and artist Beth Francell: "A Southern Lady in Cow Country: A Love Story" written by her grandmother and former Fort Davis pioneer, Lucy Foster Miller.
Affectionately known as "Daughter" to family and friends, Lucy Miller held decades of history and family stories in her heart and late in her life she chose to draft them into a loving memoir of her life with Clay "Espy" Miller. Her granddaughter, Beth Francell, cherished those memories and brought the 1980's manuscript to readers with help from family and the Fort Davis community.
Beth recounts growing up at Lucy's knee as the oldest grandchild of Lucy and Espy Miller, spending time on the ranch and in her grandmother's garden at the house in town. "Daughter instilled her love for this family and land in all of us. She had so many stories to share." Beth and her husband Larry Francell, also a noted historian and author, have lived in this same family home and kept the magnificent garden thriving since the 1990's.
Edited and bound as a memoir, "A Southern Lady in Cow Country: A Love Story" is a first-hand collection of stories about the hardscrabble life of a ranching family and the changes over the decades. From droughts to building a garden that still grows, Lucy shares memories of meeting her husband Clay Espy Miller, living with both his family members and hers, enduring earthquakes and illnesses while living on a working ranch, and moments of love and support from family and friends. She documents how they survived the lean years of the Great Depression and how the family thrived because of, and despite, the terrain, some of the hardships, as well as the personalities they met over their years together running a ranch and home.
The CE Miller Ranch celebrated 100 years in operation in November 2025. This book is a peek at how the family grew and the ranch managed over a century full of changes. The book includes some of the Miller family tree for genealogy and history documentation, photos of Espy and the Miller family, and dozens of stories about life on a ranch near Fort Davis, Texas.
Copies of "A Southern Lady in Cow Country: A Love Story" can be purchased from Beth Francell at The Paint Box art studio at 205 State Street in Fort Davis, Texas, as well as at Javelinas 5th & Holland in Alpine, Texas, and online through Bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and other retailers.
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For press information or author/editor interviews, please contact heather@purplefeatherpress.com
Paperback copies can be found at local shops in Fort Davis and Alpine, Texas.
Visit The Paint Box art studio at 205 State Street in Fort Davis during open visiting hours to see if Beth is painting in her studio and she'll happily sell you a copy!
Books are also available at Javelinas 5th & Holland in Alpine, Texas.
Other local retailers coming soon!
Both hardback and paperback are available for purchase at online retailers. Some options listed here:
New project updates soon!
Next projects for Purple Feather Press include more history, genealogy, and research books, a children's book, and a planner for people on the neurodivergent spectrum.
If you're interested in visiting with us about getting your story or research out into the world in book format, please reply or reach out and we'll set up a time to chat.
