Former Deputy Sheriff Kurt Collins returns home to Meadow Springs plagued by a violent bank robbery that cost the life of a town sheriff and a young woman. One of the robbers is reportedly hiding out near his home town, but his return uncovers a deadly plot that puts the beautiful Evelyn Two Hearts in danger. Half Irish and half Lakota Indian, Evy wants nothing more than to keep her ranch at Tomahawk Canyon safe, and to settle down with Collins, the man she has loved for many years. An evil land grabber named Jonas Redburn, however, has other plans, and he hires notorious gunfighter Dirty Jim Fandango to use his guns without conscience as Collins desperately fights to save them all.

In 1879 a drunken hoard of silver miners raided a Cheyenne village while the tribe's warriors hunted buffalo. A small band of young braves, not yet old enough to join the hunt, escaped and rode for help. Their efforts failed when they were discovered by the raiders, who ran them over a cliff along with all the tribe's horses that had been left behind. When the warriors returned and found the devastation, the tribe's medicine man, Black Cloud, placed a curse on the site. A century and a half later, a scandalous Top Secret project is under construction in the same Colorado wilderness. Bryan Reynolds discovers that its roots lie in the same greed, corruption, and exploitation of the Earth that precipitated the curse. But before he can expose what he's found, he's killed in a suspicious accident that his wife, Sara, miraculously survives. Her memory of where they were or what they'd discovered, however, is gone. Neither Sara nor Bryan's life-long Cheyenne friend, Charlie Littlewolf, will rest until they find out what Bryan discovered that resulted in his death. Charlie is acutely aware that the only way to solve the mystery is through connecting with the grandfather spirits. To do so he must return to his roots and the teachings of his medicine man grandfather. His journey back to the Cheyenne way includes ancient rituals and ceremonies that guide him and Sara to the answers they seek. As a descendant of Black Cloud, his destiny is deeply embedded in the fulfillment of the original curse, which was triggered by what Bryan discovered. Charlie's quest has only just begun. A government conspiracy lies at the core of the story, though this first volume of the trilogy concentrates on Sara and Charlie discovering what Bryan knew that got him killed. Modern man's disregard for the environment, which conflicts with Native American philosophies of animism and of honoring the Earth, plays an important part. Past pollution caused by 19th century mining is inherent to the story as well as contemporary activities such as fracking. Various paranormal and supernatural elements including detailed descriptions of Cheyenne rituals and ceremonies such as the sacred red pipe, ceremonial fasting, and the sweat lodge are included. The Cheyenne's name for the Great Spirit is Maheo, who is referred to throughout. There are numerous other-worldly situations included, based on the experiences of the story's Cheyenne co-author. While the story is fictitious, these depictions are authentic. Modern technology plays a significant role in juxtaposition to traditional Native American elements. Astronomy and the ancient art and science of western astrology play roles as well in helping direct Sara and Charlie to the answers they need. In essence this saga's theme includes the collision of two disparate cultures and their respective attitudes toward the Earth, one of which is honor, the other exploitation. These complexities are what expanded this story into a trilogy. Native American history is touched upon, but will be covered in greater detail in subsequent volumes.

In 1969--the counter-cultural moment when Easy Rider triggered a "youthquake" in audience interests--Westerns proved more dominant than ever at the box office and at the Oscars. It was a year of masterpieces--The Wild Bunch, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Once Upon a Time in the West and True Grit. Robert Redford achieved star status. Old-timers like John Wayne, Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum appeared in two Westerns apiece. Raquel Welch took on the mantle of Queen of the West. Clint Eastwood and Lee Marvin tried their hand at a musical (Paint Your Wagon). New directors like George Roy Hill reinvigorated the genre while veteran Sam Peckinpah at last found popular approval. Themes included women's rights, social anxieties about violence and changing attitudes of and towards African-Americans and Native Americans. All of the 40-plus Westerns released in the U.S. in 1969 are covered in depth, offering a new perspective on the genre.

"[These volumes] are endlessly absorbing as an excursion into cultural history and national memory."--Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.

A novel of Western justice from the master storyteller of West of the River. It began on the outskirts of Durango, Colorado. A stagecoach was ambushed. A young woman was kidnapped. And one lone witness was foolish enough to trail the attackers and save the girl. That was Lingo Barnes’ first mistake. His second mistake is taking Emily Lou Colter back to his valley. There, he learns about Emily’s father and brother—and about the mine they own and operate. Lingo knows this mine must be the real target of the kidnapping lowlifes. And now they’ve targeted Emily as the perfect means to their end. That will be their mistake. And it will be their last.