The second installment of Michael McGarrity''s richly authentic American West trilogy continues the story of Patrick Kerney, his ex-wife Emma, and their young son Matthew after the tragic battlefield death of their eldest son at the end of World War I. Scarred by the loss of his older brother, estranged from his father, and deeply troubled by his mother''s failing health, eight-year-old Matthew is forced to take on responsibilities far beyond his years.