Coming of age in the untamed American West in the tradition of Lonesome Dove. In 1822, seventeen-year-old Temple Buck is swept aboard Mike Fink's keelboat and into the Rocky Mountain fur trade, the last great wilderness era in American history. What begins as an unwanted journey becomes a life-changing adventure as Temple joins Andrew Henry's first expedition up the Missouri River into the beaver country of the Rocky Mountains. Among rough, capable men pushing into a land with no roads, few reliable maps, and countless ways to die, Temple must learn to survive on the edge of the known world. Through bloody battles, hard-won friendships, homespun humor, and frontier romance, he witnesses the opening of a vast wilderness that would soon disappear forever. Blending historical figures with fictional characters and grounded in meticulous research, this vivid saga brings the early Rocky Mountain fur trade to life through Temple's own unforgettable voice."You can practically taste the buffalo tongue, hear the creak of saddles, and smell the horses and campfire smoke."- Barnes & Noble "If you have enjoyed the fiction of Win Blevins and Terry C. Johnston, you will find a worthy continuation of the genre."- Eric Bye, Editor, Muzzle Blast Magazine Book One of the Temple Buck Quartet. Rocky Mountain Fur Trade, 1822-1824. For readers who enjoy epic historical adventures set at the edge of the American frontier.