Korean War veteran Iry Paret is trying to put the past behind him, having just been released from the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola after serving time for manslaughter. He heads west to begin a new life in Montana on the family ranch of Buddy Riordan, a friend from prison. Life in Montana, however, is far from serene. Buddy’s father is waging a one-man campaign to shut down the local pulp mill that is devastating the environment. Tensions are growing, and so is the level of power the Riordans and Iry are up against. Meanwhile, Iry begins falling for Buddy’s estranged wife, and soon his loyalty to his friend as well as his determination to stay on the straight and narrow is put to the test.

“Bulging with virile prose, this good-hearted novel grabs you by the collar, roughs you up a bit, then buys you a drink afterwards.”
—Kirkus Reviews

[A] vital reworking of an American myth, a sobering meditation on the hazards of romantic, idealized actions in an imperfect world.
—Los Angeles Times