What time can't heal, love will. Arizona, 1878. When longtime widower Earl finds an injured deaf youth on the prairie, he reluctantly decides to help the boy as compensation for not being there to save his own wife and baby from a Mojave raiding party years earlier. He lodges the youngster, "Bill", with a local widow, Laura, whose daughter is deaf. Soon, sign language and shared loss deepen their friendship and begin his healing. Together, they stand firm against the town's prejudices, led by the boorish Mayor Potter. But just when Earl believes his life has turned a corner, and he is ready to embrace love for this new woman, he learns the truth about his lost family. As his dark past threatens to return, Earl must face his guilt and prejudice or risk losing everything again. Can Earl overcome his past failings and face down danger? Will Laura's kindness and faith be repaid? Can the boy's mistakes be fixed? Will love prevail? Signs Of Life is a slow-burn Western love story where guilt, prejudice and found family are tackled with hands and hearts. This book will appeal to those who enjoyed Clint Eastwood's portrayal of grouchy mid-lifer William Munny in "Unforgiven". It's been compared to "Open Range", and shares that film's mid-life love story and a central character looking to put his past behind him. It's also been likened to JoJo Moyes' "The Giver Of Stars", which deals with prejudice and boasts a strong female central character.