Andrew parduhn

Building a ranch takes heart and grit. Smoke and Sally Jensen are more than capable of meeting the challenges of shaping the land, raising the livestock, and establishing their brand. But Smoke wasn’t always an entrepreneur. He’s more apt to settle accounts with a fast draw than a checkbook. And when he learns his old friend Preacher has been ambushed by outlaws, he wastes no time saddling up and hitting the vengeance trail with his fellow mountain men Audie and Nighthawk.

Zach Connors, known as Grizzly Killer, travels with his family through the rugged and mysterious canyons where the Anasazi once built their homes high on the cliffs. The year is 1833, and they are going to Taos for the supplies they will need for another year living in the Rocky Mountains. Before reaching the Taos Valley, they face dangers from the unforgiving and rugged land, and they must cross the mighty Colorado, Green, and San Juan Rivers.

The high points in the story of Alaska since the American acquisition are brought vividly to life through more than 100 characters, real and fictional.