Thomas Hall, a young nineteenth-century Bostonian, goes West to escape his rocky relationship with his mother. An idealistic newspaperman and dreamer, Hall is fascinated by Wild West shows and dime novels. He boards a train bound for Nevada but only goes as far as New Mexico. Hall's journey exposes him to love and death, greed and betrayal, and helps him learn that the truth isn't always what is printed in black and white.
"Horsley's agility serves her well as a writer of historical fiction, since the topics she addresses are necessarily varied and complicated. She deals with them exceptionally well, seeking to understand and present her characters' struggles as completely as possible-to hear all their stories, to explore how historical and cultural realities influenced them, and to encourage the reader to understand how they influence people today."-Bloomsbury Review