Scott Gear's debut novel commences in Jackson Hole, Wyoming in 1916. Will Mcintosh and three other college students mine for gold there when something nefarious occurs. Seven years later McIntosh returns to the same area which has become a dude ranch, and signs on as ranch foreman. His boss Percy Reedy and his girlfriend Penny are from a wealthy Philadelphia suburb. Will and Penny take an interest in one another and Percy has a problem with gambling. Percy leaves the ranch, but returns a year later to meet his fate. The historical tale follows the characters and their nemesis, a stranger known as Festus Garvey through the development of the Jackson Hole valley in the 1920s and 30s as it moves from being a wild-west locale into a sophisticated vacation spot for the wealthy. After World war Two, the enmity between Will and the mysterious stranger Festus come to a head in a chase through the rugged wilderness back country of Yellowstone National Park. The sons of these antagonists also become enemies over time. Will's son Chet becomes a superintendent at the park, then risks everything as he becomes involved with someone too close to the friction between the two men. This saga spans over 50 years in the life of two families, fathers and sons.