Publisher's Synopsis
Welcome to Hat Creek, a South Dakota ghost town-turned-wellness retreat amidst the real-life hardships of collapsing buildings, ill-tempered rattlesnakes, violent storms, and herds of stampeding cattle.
Dan Stuart, proprietor of this unique endeavor, hides a dark past. Fleeing from a horrible accident, he settles into the remote Black Hills and turns recluse, using physical toil as self-inflicted punishment for his role in the tragedy. When a teenage runaway enters town, Dan faces a momentous decision: Is it worth his effort to save the youth-and, in turn, himself?
The redemptive path Dan forges, though, isn't as straightforward as it seems. Navigating secrets and past regrets as carefully as he does caving roofs and busted water pipes, he spends decades bettering himself by bettering others. Suffering a resident's horrific murder and a snoopy college intern unraveling his past, Dan's efforts lay in tatters ... until he peers into the mind of a stricken young boy and discovers the shocking means to set himself free.
