Lucy Pate Houston|Letty Bookright Houston

Like her husband, Mrs. Houston is mentioned in all three novels in the Snopes trilogy. Her story is essentially the same: within a year of their marriage, she is killed by his horse, a dangerous stallion. But her maiden name changes, from Lucy Pate (in The Hamlet) to Letty Bookright (in The Town), as does the brief biography provided in those first two volumes, and as do the details of her death. She comes into focus most vividly in The Hamlet. Her essential role in the trilogy is to be the reason why Houston is a widower.