First published 1993
Three physicians arrive in Opportunity, Idaho during the 1890s, each driven by dreams of wealth and success in this promising frontier town. The doctors initially flourish in their new home, accumulating the riches they sought. Their prosperity becomes visible in the luxurious buffalo coats they wear to survive the harsh mountain winters. These heavy garments serve as symbols of their achievement in the remote settlement that was once called Moscow. But success proves fleeting in this unforgiving landscape. One by one, each doctor faces devastating personal catastrophe that destroys everything they built. Their individual pursuits of fortune lead them down paths that end in ruin. The same ambition that brought them wealth ultimately brings their downfall. Carol Ryrie Brink crafts a story about the cost of chasing dreams in the American West. Set against the backdrop of northern Idaho's brutal climate and isolated communities, the novel explores how quickly triumph can turn to disaster. The buffalo coats that once represented the doctors' victories become reminders of lives undone by circumstance and choice.
Genres: american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, american, 19th-century
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: downfall, rags-to-riches
Setting: Idaho, Opportunity, Moscow
Period: 1890s
421 pages · Paperback · Washington State University Press