Jackson Hole Journey

by Linda Jacobs Narrated by John Pruden

Overview

Francesca di Paoli, an immigrant fallen on hard times, reaches what she hopes is a safe haven in Jackson Hole in June, 1925 . . . only to narrowly miss dying in the historic Gros Ventre landslide. Hired as a cook at the Snake River Dude Ranch, she and the rest of the valley inhabitants watch a new lake form along a dammed river. Poised above homes and ranches, will the three-hundred foot wall of debris hold back the waters? Over the next two years of the Roaring Twenties, Francesca's fate entwines with the Sutton family who own the ranch. The firstborn, William, appears to be the steady one, but harbors a longing to be seen as more than the owner's son. Bryce, believing his parents care more for William, spends time away from home . . . until he decides to compete with his brother for Francesca. Tensions rise as Bitter Waters, the Nez Perce uncle of the Sutton men comes to the ranch to die, raking up secrets of their heritage and attracting the attention of the Ku Klux Klan. In the valley, ranchers clash over a controversial proposal to make Jackson Hole a new National Park . . . and residents continue to fear the unstable slide block as earth tremors shake its foundation. Swept up in the floodtide of history, what will become of Francesca, William, and Bryce?

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"A captivating page turner that lets us all know why Linda Jacobs is an award-winning writer."

--Jane Kirkpatrick, bestselling author of An Absence so Great

"I enjoyed every word. Jacobs places the majestic Teton landscape before the reader in living color, and populates it with believable characters and a romantic story which never cloys. If you like a fast-moving story with adventure, history, love, and peril, try Jackson Hole Journey."

--Historical Novel Society

"While the characters are bright and fascinating, the real star of Jackson Hole Journey is the setting. At times it's peaceful and other times chaotic but one thing's for certain, you won't be bored."

--Chrissy Dionne, Romance Junkies

4 Stars: "Jacob's latest installment of her Yellowstone series will have readers clamoring for the series' other books in hopes of capturing more of the incredible detail that she incorporates in this particular novel. In addition to creating a vast and charismatic cast of characters, Jacobs accurately captures the story's era and the Gros Ventre, Wyo. wilderness, adding to the already rich historical tone of this novel. Without a doubt, readers will forge a strong connection to some of the characters and find themselves rooting for William and Francesca. Fans of western novels will also enjoy this historical fiction installment."

--RT Reviews

"A vivid portrait of ranch life and a devastating natural disaster."

--Lucia St. Clair Robson, Spur Award winning author of Ride the Wind

"Jackson Hole Journey is an entertaining mix of a character rich story of people in peril, in love, and in everyday life, and almost a travelogue about one of America's most scenic places."

--Jane Bowers, Romance Reviews Today

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169696691
Publisher:	Books in Motion
Publication date:	09/22/2010
Series:	Yellowstone , #4
Edition description:	Unabridged

Read an Excerpt

She found herself counting the seconds between Bitter Waters's breaths. He would inhale, chest heaving, then his lips would seal. Ten, thirty, forty-five seconds--by the relentless ticking of the wall clock--until, with a panicked snort, his mouth gaped like a fish's on the bank and he continued to live.

Hours passed and the clock wound down and stopped. Francesca stared at it and at Bitter Waters, but the cessation of the ticking had not marked his passing. Finally, the realization that she hoped each time he stopped breathing would be the last drove her from the room. Cord and Laura still slept.

Bryce lay on the sofa, his head pillowed on his arm. She touched his shoulder and for a moment, they looked into each other.

"My turn?" His voice sounded thick.

Francesca moved so he could swing his long frame around to sit up. He stabbed both hands into his hair and made the sleep-tousled mess worse. "How is he?"

"The same."

Bryce put a sinewy hand on each thigh and pushed to his feet. "The suspense is killing us all," he said in a husky voice. "God strike me dead for wishing it over, but what he has now is not a life."

The living hell of slow suffocation, whether her father with fluid buildup in his lungs, or Bitter Waters' ....

In the flickering light, the kitchen clock said it was nearly four. Less than an hour until summer's dawn would paint a seam of silver gray above the Gros Ventre.

Bryce went in to Bitter Waters and she lay down. The leather on the couch was still warm. The door to the lean-to opened onto blackness .... The candle had burned out.

Shifting her position, she tried to ease the places where knives seemed to have been inserted beneath her shoulder blades. She moved her restless legs. Hunger pangs roiled, but she did not want any broth.

Giving up on sleep, she went to the fireplace, stirred the embers and added two logs.

From the lean-to, she heard a rasping breath, followed by silence. Her shoulders hunched, her bare toes curled on the chill stone in front of the hearth.

Without warning, a wave of relief washed through her.

She seized the lamp from its hook and ran to the lean-to. In the wedge of light across the bed, she made out Bryce, sprawled awkwardly on the straight chair, asleep. His extended hand covered Bitter Waters's.

Cord and Laura also slept.

Francesca tiptoed to the bedside. Bitter Waters mouth hung open; he did not blink at the light.

Though she felt certain his soul had departed, she stood a minute, and another, giving Bryce and his parents a little longer to live in the time before Bitter Waters died.

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