A story of several intertwined lives against the background of the exploration and settling of the American West from the Lewis and Clark expedition to the coming of the railroad. The lives of settlers, fur trappers, Indians, circuit riding preacher and escaped slaves all intersect in story of love, tragic choices, regrets, redemption and second chances.

This should appeal to those interested in literary fiction, the history of the settling of the American West and its effect on the American Indian tribes that had themselves so recently transformed and developed the nomadic Plains Indian culture following the introduction of the horse and European technology, and to those interested in a positive portrayal of Christianity, and all of us perplexed by the vagaries of human interaction at the deepest levels.

Ken Bridge's novel is a masterfully crafted work of historical fiction. "The River Wild" tells the compelling story of several intertwined lives during the exploration and settling of the American West, from the Lewis and Clark expedition to the coming of the railroad. The lives of settlers, fur trappers, American Indians, circuit riding preachers, and escaped slaves all intersect in a story of love, tragic choices, regrets, redemption and second chances. In this story, Caleb Brooks, the younger of two brothers is in love with a neighboring girl. He is shocked when he discovers that she has agreed to marry his older brother. In the dark of night, he leaves his home to join a fur trapping expedition to the largely unexplored Rocky Mountains. When he sees his brother again, joy at the reunion dissolves in anger and Caleb retreats deeper into the Rocky Mountains, where events conspire to draw him into an Arapaho clan, where he finds a wife and has two sons. When his wife dies while giving birth to his daughter, he takes to solitary wandering until a young man from the east finds him, calls him by name and informs Caleb that he has come to bring him back home.... Get ready for an adventure like no other!