First published 2012
John Kerney's world collapses when his wife dies in childbirth and his brother falls victim to violence on the West Texas plains. With his ranch gone and forced to abandon his newborn son, Kerney sets out across the harsh frontier landscape. He pursues the outlaws who destroyed his family while searching for somewhere to begin again. His wandering takes him south until a chance encounter offers him work driving cattle into New Mexico Territory. This opportunity transforms his destiny completely. Set between 1875 and 1918, the story follows Kerney as he navigates the brutal realities of the Old West. McGarrity chronicles how one man rebuilds from devastating loss while the frontier era draws to a close. This opening volume of a trilogy traces the ancestry of Kevin Kerney, revealing the origins of a family shaped by violence and survival.
Genres: american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, american, adventure, 19th-century, american-history
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: family-saga, redemption, survival
Setting: West Texas, New Mexico Territory
Period: 1875-1918
608 pages · Hardcover · Dutton
Content warnings: violence