Amazon River City Books Category:  Literary Fiction Publisher: River City Books ISBN-10:  0967567319 Pages: 237 Copyright: 2003 In 1885, a terrible mistake turns a simple act of chivalry into murder, and forces two lovers to bear their children in a Montana wilderness. Chapter 1 Montana - 1885 On this Saturday afternoon, ten after two to be exact, Nathan Wolford was Big Larch’s most respected merchant. Mighty as a bull, easy as a lamb, he did not know that in a few heartbeats unleashed violence would change his life forever. Unaware his actions in the next few minutes would rewrite his destiny; Nathan leisurely swept the floor in his general merchandise store. He carefully swept around Luke’s tail, between his legs, and around his head. To let a sleeping dog lie was just a common courtesy to Nathan’s way of thinking. He had just loaded two gunnysacks of chicken feed on his shoulders when Little Benny, the town’s self-appointed news instigator, burst through the double screen doors. The doors banged loudly behind him. “Willy Strom is slander’n your lady friend, Nathan. He’s down at the Drywhistle braggin’ about taking his liberties with your feeancee. It’s a sight what he’s saying, I tell you.” Little Benny’s news did not surprise Nathan, for he remembered the night before. Willy’s outrageous brags about Nellie Lee Wilson had filtered back to him after the square dance. He knew, and everybody knew, Willy was just beat’n his gums. Nellie Lee was pure as spring water. Nathan had laid awake half the night furious over what he’d heard. He was an easygoing man, he knew that, and he allowed Willy could’ve said anything he pleased about him and he would’ve shrugged it off as the babbling of a no-account, booze-soaked cowpuncher. But Nellie Lee was the girl he’d set his sights on, and no Willy Strom would sully her name while he was alive. He’d never sought a fight with any man, but how else do you shut up a loudmouth braggart? Nathan dropped the gunnysacks of chicken feed and stalked toward the door with Benny trotting behind him like a puppy dog. Nathan’s boots clomping within inches of Luke’s head was ominous enough for Luke to open one eye. But he couldn’t muster the awful effort to keep it open, so it slowly closed again. “Whatcha aiming to do, Nathan? You gonna whoop him ain’t ya Nathan?” Little Benny was never above suggesting an outcome to his liking.....   Excerpt Nathan lowered the coffin into the grave, and then raised one end to scoop a handful of dirt underneath it to level it. Nellie Lee laid her flowers on the lid. She looked to Nathan to say something, anything? It was his duty. He must say something. Nathan felt the pressure of her request. After a bit he looked skyward and said, “I… I don’t understand, Lord.” He paused and repeated in almost a whisper, “I just don’t understand.” Then he picked up the shovel and threw in a shovel of dirt. It thumped with a hollow sound on the wooden coffin. “I don’t understand…” A gentle breeze moved the swing beside them back and forth as Nathan’s shovel chulunked—shewwet, chulunk—shewwet, until the grave was full. Nellie Lee watched dry-eyed and twisted her apron into a tight knot.

DB
If Louis L’Amour and Will Rogers co-authored a book, the results might well be Nathan’s Valley. Bob Brown weaves a witty love story into a tale of hair-raising adventure. DB

BP
I loved every page! You made me laugh and cry. The characters came so alive I felt I had known them. Best of all, a satisfying after-glow lingered when the story ended. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt that kind of gratification from reading a story. BP

JB
I’m going to miss these characters for a few days. What a lovely story. There is good suspense and the characters are multi-dimensional. RS \