The River Wild

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!

An avid reader, Ken has been writing stories for as long as he can remember. A native of rural western New York, he dropped out of college to hitchhike across America. Later, he served as a medic and with the military police in the US Army. After his discharge, Ken served as a police officer, becoming a field training officer and then an instructor at a regional policy academy. After leaving police work, Ken returned to college to become a pastor. Since then he keeps his household fed and clothed by working in corporate IT.