A Forgotten Evil - Sheldon Russell

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Résumé :
In the American West, as the nation heals from the Civil War that nearly destroyed it, new battle lines are being drawn. Caleb Justin, orphaned and grieving, and his comrade Joshua Hart, a tough, worldly runaway, leave their home along the Ohio River bound for Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, intent to join Sheridan's troops in their pursuit of Indian lands. But a badly healed foot injury ends Caleb's dream of joining up. While Joshua is assigned to George Armstrong Custer's troops, Caleb finds himself alone and undefended on the war-ravaged prairie, picking up whatever work he can-until his capture by Indians changes everything. Joan Monnet, daughter of a wealthy railroad magnate, is traveling West when her caravan is attacked by Indians. A timely rescue saves her life but leaves her lost on the vast American prairie with Caleb. Together, they must fight their way back to the world they once knew. But in the winter of 1868, as the snow drifts, Custer is set to turn his cavalry on a Cheyenne camp along the Washita River. Joshua, Joan, and Caleb find themselves trapped in the crossfire of one of the bloodiest battles of frontier history. Will their desperate courage be enough for them to survive?

Biographie:
Dr. Sheldon Russell, Professor Emeritus, is the author of fifteen books, including his award-winning historical fiction and his popular Hook Runyon mystery series. His books have garnered three Oklahoma Book Awards for Fiction, the Langum Prize for Historical Literature, and the Spur Award for Best Historical Western from the Western Writers of America. His books have earned starred reviews from both Booklist and Publishers Weekly. Russell is a graduate of Northwestern Oklahoma State University and Oklahoma State University. He currently lives on the family ranch in the beautiful Gloss Mountains of northwestern Oklahoma....

Sommaire:
In the restless years after the Civil War, a wounded nation turns west. Caleb Justin, orphaned and aching for purpose, leaves the Ohio River with his closest friend, Joshua Hart, a runaway with more grit than faith. Their plan: to reach Fort Leavenworth and enlist under General Sheridan. But when an old injury ends Caleb's dream, the two are torn apart-Joshua joins Custer's ranks, and Caleb is left to survive alone on the unforgiving prairie. Scraping by, Caleb's luck runs out when he's captured by a band of Cheyenne. What begins as captivity becomes an awakening as he learns to see the war-torn plains through the eyes of those his country seeks to destroy. Then fate intervenes: a wagon train under attack, and a young woman-Joan Monnet, the spirited daughter of a railroad tycoon-thrown into Caleb's path. As winter closes in, Caleb, Joan, and Joshua are drawn inexorably toward the Washita River, where Custer's forces prepare to strike a Cheyenne village. Amid snow and smoke, loyalty and conscience collide. Each must decide what survival truly means-and what it will cost....