Gordon Hawkes has spent the past decade living in the mountain wilderness with his wife and son. But now their seclusion from "civilization" is coming to an end as hundreds of settlers trek through the virgin territory seeking land of their own. Among these nomads are the Mormons, led by Brigham Young, fleeing the persecution of their way of life by the eastern states.
Sympathizing with Young's congregation, Hawkes offers to guide them to a new home but there is only so much land available. The Mormons find themselves in violent conflict with other westward-bound settlers and, soon enough, federal troops are dispatched to secure the rapidly dissolving peace.
As the dreams of so many men and women collide around him, Hawkes finds that his untainted country has become a battleground...
1999 by Jason Manning Signet (New York) 310 pp ISBN: 0-451-19689-9
Based on historical events, this -- the second of the six Gordon Hawkes novels -- was the best received of the series. It also featured one of my favorite characters of the series, John Bonham, Brigham Young's laconic "angel of death." The book turned out quite well, and was in my opinion a much stronger offering than the previous one.