After the burning, Luke, Elizabeth, and Tom face the momentous decision of whether to remain in or leave Escondido Canyon. Staying would mean more of the unpredictable and often petty harassment that has proven to be dangerous and may yet prove to be fatal. Leaving could provide safety and relief but would require an abandonment to their tormentor of the fruits of their labors, of their plans and hopes, of what they have committed to. Could a sudden change in their circumstances relieve them of the need to decide whether to stay or leave? Could it signal the beginning of a new and better way? Or could it prove to be the agent that exposes fault lines in the foundation of their enterprise: the foundation of faith, integrity, loyalty, and sanity?

Author Biography

P. A. Ritzer spent four years traveling through Kansas, Colorado, and especially Texas, researching primary and secondary sources, and the land itself and the people who live on it, to inform his crafting of Seven Ox Seven. He brings to his story a background in history (Gonzaga University BA) and theology (Harvard University, University of Notre Dame MA).