The Land
A Novel
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- $4.99
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
Crumbling Indian and Spanish ruins, lost gold and a modern ranch are all part of The Land where centuries of men and women have lived, loved, fought and died. It is a novel of their hopes, dreams of wealth and power, their lust and greed. Symbolic of what this piece of earth means is the spear point made by Silver Moon and cast aside to be found by each successive generation. The spear point fills each possessor with the vision of the past and these ghostly visions have a determining effect on the fate of those who hold it in their hands. In the end, it is this ancient spear point that saves the ranch and its owner from disaster. ROBERT K. SWISHER JR. has been a ranch foreman and a mountain guide. An individual who knows the outdoors and western history, he has successfully combined these interests in stories, poems and novels. He is also the author of “The Last Narrow Gauge Train Robbery,” “Fatal Destiny,” “Only Magic,” “Love Lies Bleeding,” “How Far The Mountain” and “Last Day In Paradise,” all from Sunstone Press.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Devil's Peak is the spiritual center of a certain section of dry, alkaline land in New Mexico. Its flat top decorated with powerful primitive drawings, the peak oversees the passage of time and the passions of man in Swisher's historical saga. Beginning with the Indians, he recounts the love story between Shining Moon and Flying Bear, as doomed as is the fate of their tribe. Next come the Spaniards, represented by Father Majico who builds a church near the ruined pueblo and dreams with equal purity of God and a young woman left in Spain. Mexicans follow, both rich and poor, their haciendas and lean-tos lost with their dreams in the clash between Indians and the U.S. Army. Finally, the land is possessed by ranchers and cowboys, passed down through generations of a family named Simpson. Frank Simpson is the last hero, mute as a child, in special concert with the land that releases its past to him in visions and, when needed, even its hidden wealth. Sometimes excessively emphasizing the passions of a man for his woman, as well as for his land, Swisher's tale doesn't gloss over the harsh cruelties of man or nature. If there were a category of historical romance written for men, this moving novel would fit the bill.
