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At the Mountain's Edge

A historical novel by Genevieve Graham.

Genevieve Graham

CBC Books Posted: Jul 15, 2019 5:08 PM EDT | Last Updated: December 10, 2019

In 1897, the discovery of gold in the desolate reaches of the Yukon has the world abuzz with excitement, and thousands of prospectors swarm to the north seeking riches the likes of which have never been seen before.

For Liza Peterson and her family, the gold rush is a chance for them to make a fortune by moving their general store business from Vancouver to Dawson City, the only established town in the Yukon. For Constable Ben Turner, a recent recruit of the North-West Mounted Police, upholding the law in a place overrun with guns, liquor, prostitutesand thieves is an opportunity to escape a dark past and become the man of integrity he has always wanted to be. But the long, difficult journey over icy mountain passes and whitewater rapids is much more treacherous than Liza or Ben imagined, and neither is completely prepared for the forbidding north.

As Liza's family nears the mountain's peak, a catastrophe strikes with fatal consequences, and not even the NWMP can help. Alone and desperate, Liza finally reaches Dawson City, only to find herself in a different kind of peril. Meanwhile, Ben, wracked with guilt over the accident on the trail, sees the chance to make things right. But just as love begins to grow, new dangers arise, threatening to separate the couple forever. (From Simon & Schuster)

From the book

Liza's laugh was out before she could stop it. No one else in the room made a sound. She glanced at her mother, wondering if perhaps she'd misheard her father's words, but she looked as bewildered as Liza felt. Even Stan had been stunned into silence, and that was rare. Her brother usually had something to say about everything. She let her breath out slowly, timing it with the sober tick-tock of the old clock on the mantel behind her, waiting for her father to laugh and assure them he'd been joking.

Up until a minute ago, the evening had been like any other. Liza had been absorbed inThe Adventures of Sherlock Holmes though if her brother would stop spouting trivia about the rubber forests of Nicaragua or whatever it was from his latest National Geographic Magazine she would have been even more engrossed in it. On the other side of the room, her mother had been quiet sewing in her armchair by the fire while Liza's father set out his pipe and tobacco, the ledges for the family's general store spread in front of him.

FromAt the Mountain's Edgeby Genevieve Graham 2019. Published by Simon & Schuster.

At the Mountain's Edge

Genevieve Graham

From the book

Other books by Genevieve Graham