spur award WINNER, best western historical novel/finalist for the oklahoma book award in fiction
In the restless years after the Civil War, a wounded nation turns west. Caleb Justin, orphaned and aching for purpose, leaves the Ohio River with his closest friend, Joshua Hart, a runaway with more grit than faith. Their plan: to reach Fort Leavenworth and enlist under General Sheridan. But when an old injury ends Caleb’s dream, the two are torn apart—Joshua joins Custer’s ranks, and Caleb is left to survive alone on the unforgiving prairie.
Scraping by, Caleb’s luck runs out when he’s captured by a band of Cheyenne. What begins as captivity becomes an awakening as he learns to see the war-torn plains through the eyes of those his country seeks to destroy. Then fate intervenes: a wagon train under attack, and a young woman—Joan Monnet, the spirited daughter of a railroad tycoon—thrown into Caleb’s path.
As winter closes in, Caleb, Joan, and Joshua are drawn inexorably toward the Washita River, where Custer’s forces prepare to strike a Cheyenne village. Amid snow and smoke, loyalty and conscience collide. Each must decide what survival truly means—and what it will cost.
by Sheldon Russell • 280 pages
spur award WINNER, best western historical novel/finalist for the oklahoma book award in fiction
In the restless years after the Civil War, a wounded nation turns west. Caleb Justin, orphaned and aching for purpose, leaves the Ohio River with his closest friend, Joshua Hart, a runaway with more grit than faith. Their plan: to reach Fort Leavenworth and enlist under General Sheridan. But when an old injury ends Caleb’s dream, the two are torn apart—Joshua joins Custer’s ranks, and Caleb is left to survive alone on the unforgiving prairie.
Scraping by, Caleb’s luck runs out when he’s captured by a band of Cheyenne. What begins as captivity becomes an awakening as he learns to see the war-torn plains through the eyes of those his country seeks to destroy. Then fate intervenes: a wagon train under attack, and a young woman—Joan Monnet, the spirited daughter of a railroad tycoon—thrown into Caleb’s path.
As winter closes in, Caleb, Joan, and Joshua are drawn inexorably toward the Washita River, where Custer’s forces prepare to strike a Cheyenne village. Amid snow and smoke, loyalty and conscience collide. Each must decide what survival truly means—and what it will cost.
by Sheldon Russell • 280 pages
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