In the Shadow of the Mountains

DENVER: CITY OF GOLD–CITY OF DREAMS

In one magnificent family burned the vision that built a great American city. They were the Kirklands: David–the brave, big-hearted mountain dreamer who risked his life to stake a claim to a new life in the rugged Colorado Rockies; Beatrice–the ambitious, strong-willed matriarch who sacrificed her girlish dreams for the perils and hardships of an unknown, untamed wilderness; Irene-the beautiful young woman who shared her father’s passion for the land and ached for the one man she was forbidden to love; Elly–the scheming daughter who vowed to possess the family fortune and the man she worshipped above all else; John-the desperate son who struggled to escape his mother’s domination and carve out his own life.

IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOUNTAINS

Bold, headstrong, and passionate, the indomitable Kirklands struggled to survive in a treacherous, hostile land. From penniless settlers to wealthy mine owners to Denver’s regal first family, together–and separately–they pursued their dazzling dreams of love and glory. From the era of the covered wagon to the rise of the western railroad, from the gold rush years through the golden age of the American West, In the Shadow of the Mountains is the breathtaking saga of a remarkable family who endured tragedy and hardship to build a glorious mountain empire.