Introduction

The telegraph he had gotten from Kathryn, the niece he hadn't seen in years, left Rick Barnett, a miner turned rancher, with an unsettled feeling. How should he respond to her urgent request?

Questions and Concerns

Why would she want to leave Lexington, Kentucky and come to the rugged West of 1878? The journey would be long, traveling by train and stagecoach, and could she adapt from the luxury she was accustomed to and live a more primitive life on a ranch in Colorado?

Story Elements

But he agrees for her to come, and the events in this novel, centering around the towns of Villa Grove and Bonanza, Colorado prior to the gold and silver mining boom, feature elements of surprise, humor, laughter and tears, all leading to how tragic events can change the lives of those involved.