In 1886, Gretta wakes one morning to discover that her husband Ulysses has left his family behind on the Minnesota's western prairie, with no explanation for why or where he's headed. Gretta's sons, Eli and Danny, set off after him, and ending up in the badlands of Montana. Short on money, Gretta has no choice but to follow them. The boys find that the closer they get to Ulysses, the more dangers confront them-until each is faced with a choice about whom to defend, and who they will become.

In 1886, Gretta Pope wakes one morning to discover that her husband is gone. Ulysses Pope has left his family behind on the far edge of Minnesota's western prairie with only the briefest of notes and no explanation for why he left or where he's headed. It doesn't take long for Gretta's young sons, Eli and Danny, to set off after him, following the scant clues they can find, jumping trains to get where they need to go, and ending up in the rugged badlands of Montana. Gretta has no choice but to search for her sons and her husband, leading her to the doorstep of a woman who seems intent on making Ulysses her own. Meanwhile, the boys find that the closer they come to Ulysses' trail, the greater the perils that confront them, until each is faced with a choice about whom he will defend, and who he will become. The bloody turmoil of expansionism, the near total demise of the bison herds, and the subjugation of the Plains Indians blend seamlessly with the intimate story of a family's sacrific