Juniper Country

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Can a family that is suspiciously different from its neighbors coexist with them? Can it overcome the prejudices and fears of the mainstream citizenry and build a peaceful, prosperous life? "Juniper Country" builds the setting for this question, then lets readers answer it for themselves. The story begins with three diverse families settling the remote high desert country of the northern Great Basin in the 1870s West near the future town of Juniper. One of these families, the James, is quite different than the other two. And their lives quickly clash over conflicting goals, heritage, and values, as two generations of these three families battle through the ensuing decades over land, cattle, romance, murder, betrayal, self-discovery, tragedy, and death. Synopsis. The lives of three homesteading families, the Kanes, the Bentons, and the James, who settle the remote high desert range of the northern Great Basin in the 1870s, intertwine to the extreme over the decades as they establish their legacies as cattle ranchers in the developing American West. The Kane family flees their home to start a new life raising cattle on a small homestead in the high desert country. The boy, Everett, grows to become a leading citizen and rancher in the nearby community of Juniper. When his wife and son die from the 1918 flu pandemic, he becomes bitter and relentless in the pursuit of his life-long foe, Rawlins Benton. The Benton family blazed the trail in the cattle business in early Haines County. The patriarch, Calder Benton, founds a mighty ranch in 1872 with extensive holdings backed by financiers from California. He is determined to dominate the cattle business in Haines County and drive out the Kanes and James, and to seize their cherished land. Calder Benton's son, Rawlins, is wild, reckless, and a disappointment to this father. Calder's daughter, Eunice, an intelligent, attractive girl, kindles romantic yearnings in the young Everett Kane. But her heart lies with young Jit Jame, son of Gar and Deem Jame. The third family, the James, is mysterious and quiet, clinging to a secluded life to raise their three sons and build their ranch. They possess seemingly superhuman powers and odd physical traits that, though subtle, cause fear, misunderstanding, and prejudice in their neighbors, especially the Bentons. Befriended by the young Everett Kane, the James come to play a major role in the development of his character. When Calder Benton discovers the forbidden teen-age love affair between his daughter Eunice and Jit Jame, he becomes enraged and commits her to an asylum. When Calder is shot and killed and the unknown assassin escapes, Rawlins Benton resolves to avenge his father's death, suspecting both the Kanes and the James. The ensuing decades-long feud engenders changes in all the characters, good and bad, and results in a surprise ending that apparently will remain a mystery forever. Author bio. Pat Jameson was born to a family of ranchers in Eastern Oregon and spent many summers in the 1960s working on a cattle ranch in the high desert. He previously published a novel called The Juniper Story, which is a sequel to this book. He was born and raised in Oregon, graduated from Santa Clara University and Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College in Portland, and currently lives in Boise, Idaho.