It's 1912 in the Texas Panhandle, and Lena Snyder Sneed is madly in love. The only problem is, it's not with her wealthy husband, Beal, who for months at a time leaves Lena alone to care for the children and homestead. And to her own devices.With Beal gone, Lena falls into a relationship with Al Boyce, a wealthy cattleman in town more often than her husband.

And in small-town Texas, gossip spreads like wildfire - especially among the wealthy. When Beal gets wind of Lena's liaisons with Al, jealousy, revenge, and pride brew into a Biblical storm that consumes the two families and leaves tragedy in its wake.Based on one of the most documented feuds in Texas history, Before We Turn to Dust is an honest, shocking, and informative glimpse into the society and frontier justice that prevailed in turn-of-the-century Texas.