The Arrangement

The Battle of Gettysburg, July 1 to 3, 1863, all but ended General Robert E. Lee's invasion of the north. The estimates of total casualties [on both sides] were over 57,000. The battle also ended Quinn's military career. "Son," Colin Duncan inquired, "will you resume your practice now the war—for you—is over?" "Pa," Quinn said morosely. "I took an oath in medical school to save lives, to do no harm. I could have stayed in a field hospital, but I didn't. I volunteered to take life." "What will you do then?" the elder Duncan asked. "I'm going west," Quinn replied. The Arrangement follows the story of the Duncan clan. Two brothers who find each other again and build a ranching empire in New Mexico Territory. But before they can build, the older of the two, Quinn, and the eventual patriarch of this empire, must defeat his demons wrought by the bloody Battle of Gettysburg. This is an epic story of five generations, from the 1860s through to the 2000s, who must fight rustlers, murderers, land swindlers, the Apache, and the land itself to build their empire. But most importantly, this is a story of family, love, and steadfast, dogged determination to stay together and build something good. In the end . . . Well, you'll have to read to find that out.