The penultimate chapter in this Spur Award–winning series of historical adventure novels features the vibrant culture of 1820s Santa Fe, a daring rescue mission, and a cast of unforgettable characters drawn from the ranks of America's great mountain men and explorers
In the decade since Sam Morgan left Pennsylvania for the vast wilderness beyond the Rocky Mountains, he's become a fearless and resourceful fur trapper, befriending such historical notables as Kit Carson, Jim Bridger, and Irish Tom Fitzpatrick.

Sam and his friends celebrate a double wedding in Santa Fe, but shortly after the ceremony, Navajo raiders kidnap the two brides. Accompanied by his hothead son, Tomás, and trapper Jean-Baptiste Charbonneau, son of Sacajawea, Sam sets out to rescue his adopted daughters. But his heart is heavy: His vibrant lover, Doña Paloma, is dying of cancer and wants to travel alone to the shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

The rescue mission takes Sam deep into Navajo, Ute, and Blackfeet Indian territory as he battles a corrupt Mexican governor, manipulative tribal chiefs, murderous raiders, and treacherous companions. When he finally reaches the captive girls, he meets a trapper called Pegleg Smith—and the surprise of a lifetime.