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West River
A Story of the Badlands, the Black Hills, and the Last Pioneers
A Barton Family Saga
by Bill Bishop
Imprint: Resource Publications
West River is a tale of the last pioneers on America's western frontier and the lessons they learned. Growing up on his father's Badlands homestead, Bill Barton chases his boyhood dream of one day staking his own homestead claim in the Black Hills. Bill learns that dreams, no matter how hard a man may struggle to make them come true, can turn to dust before his very eyes. Losing everything, Bill comes to accept that a man needs to take life as it comes and make of it what he can.
Born into hard times, Bill's daughter Velda grows up learning how to make do and do without. Never backing down, Velda fights for her place in the world, while the Barton family struggles with the harsh realities of poverty amidst the daunting challenges of draught and depression.
The sudden outbreak of world war transforms the Barton family and their fortunes. With a victorious America emerging as the leader of a new world order, the Barton family is left to ponder the deeper meaning of America's newfound prosperity, its outsized role in the world, and whether future generations will be willing to stay the course and pay the price.
Born and raised in the Dakota Badlands, “Wild Bill” Bishop has been driven by a pioneer spirit and an unquenchable curiosity in what lies beyond the distant horizon. His wanderlust has taken him to the far corners of the world, where he has come to appreciate the true value of his beloved Black Hills of South Dakota and his western roots.
“West River is the story of a family building a nation, and a nation building a family. In this third novel of the Barton family saga, Bill Bishop shows with warmth, humor, and realism how a pioneer family dealt with the challenges of transitioning from frontier West to industrial nation. He also makes clear that the challenges they faced—poverty, displacement, immigration, racism, war, and a pandemic—are challenges we as a nation still confront.”
—Bruce Stronach, Dean emeritus, Temple University
“West River is an entertaining tale of triumph and chagrin that traces the Barton family across the Badlands and Black Hills of South Dakota through the turbulent first half of the twentieth century, where these ‘last pioneers’ tenaciously pursued their dreams while staking a lasting claim on the reader’s imagination.”
—Burton Blume, Creative Brand Strategist
“West River is a sweeping tale of the fading days of the Old West, and a great read! West River is about a family; about true grit, dogged persistence, and positivity in the face of natural and man-made disasters; about the importance of loyalty, friendships, justice, and equality; and about America’s place in the world.”
—Bill Hall, President, Ipsos Healthcare Japan
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