Lampassas gave up cowpunching to be a husband and shopkeeper. But when his wife dies of influenza the aging cowboy puts on his spurs again. With his 17-year-old son at his side Lampassas sets off on his own cattle drive. His adventures and misadventures are the stuff classic Westerns are made of yet the unforgettable characters and gentle wisdom set this novel far apart from the herd. North to Yesterday won the 1968 Award for Fiction from the Texas Institute of Letters. Narrator Norman Dietz's performance highlights each colorful step of the longhorn trail.