All Things Touch: A Saga of the American West

In an era of unparalleled innovation, a generation-spanning cast of men and women will help shape the future of the American West:Lured by prospects in the West, three brothers leave the family farm. The eldest, trying to shake the memories of the Civil War and a love lost, throws himself into the building of the first transcontinental railroad . . . surprised to discover life's unexpected second chances. Another uproots his family and moves to Nebraska to farm under the vast frontier skies, but he soon becomes trapped in the middle of Indian conflicts, range wars, and a complex love triangle. The youngest struggles to find his way, drifting from place to place where trouble often finds him, but in a rowdy Wyoming town he is confronted with choices that could make or break his future.Their ambitious brother-in-law creates the country's first nationwide express company, risking political entanglements that could cause it's ruin, or, worse, ensnare his sons in the ensuing shambles.A brilliant but naïve engineer heads to California, intent on constructing the transcontinental railroad from the Pacific Coast. Standing in his way are the Sierra Nevada Mountains, towns and businesses that would be ruined by the railroad, and his own partners who see the venture as a way to quick riches.A vibrant young woman, stranded on the Oregon Trail, remains in Nebraska Territory, convinced that fate has put her there to wait for something . . . or someone.A Pawnee outcast, trapped between two societies, foresees the reality of the white man's incursion and tries desperately to find a peaceful solution. In the end he may hold the answer to the mysterious phrase All Things Touch. Can these pioneering figures succeed in challenging times, or will history bury them in its footnotes?All Things Touch: A Saga of the American West features a diverse cast of characters whose lives intersect with major events of the time and with historical figures such as Lincoln, Sherman, Theodore Judah, and the Oglala Sioux chief Red Cloud. From Marquette and Jolliet's journey down the Mississippi to the building of the first skyscrapers in modern Chicago, this is a breathtaking work of historical fiction. If you like richly developed characters, vivid settings, and tales based on true events, then you'll be gripped by John Randall Aikman’s sweeping drama.Buy All Things Touch today to meet the legends who defined a century! Read more