Synopsis

COYOTE WINDS captures the times leading up to the Dust Bowl, a time of optimism and confidence, a time when a man was measured by what he produced, not what he could buy. It explores that American can-do spirit that drew people to the last frontier and the consequences of that spirit, both good and bad. And it asks whether that spirit has survived the Dust Bowl, the Great Depression, and the years since.

When thirteen-year old Myles brings home a coyote pup half-blinded by a dust storm, his father warns him a coyote can’t be trusted. His neighbor loads his rifle and takes aim. Yet Myles is determined to tame the pup just as his father is taming the land.

The time is 1930. Tractors and fertilizers are transforming the southern prairie into the world’s breadbasket. The American dream is within every man’s reach. But when drought turns these dreams into paint-stripping, crop-killing dust, Myles wonders if they have made a mistake by trying to tame the untamable.

What people are saying about COYOTE WINDS…

“An engrossing account of hardscrabble life in Colorado at the dawning of the Dust Bowl era, as seen through the eyes of a wise-cracking 1920s farm boy, an injured coyote pup, and a disgruntled, 21st century teenager. The story transports readers to a bygone day when dreams died hard and indomitable spirits struggled to endure. ” –David Schweidel, author of Confidence of the Heart and What Men Call Treasure

“In this fresh, affectionate, and poignant novel, Sedwick brings to vivid life the story of two boys connecting across decades with plucky independence and unexpected courage. Pages turn like the Coyote Winds, unfolding a gritty tale of endurance, love, and a touch of magic that will hold young and old in its spell.” –Joanne Meschery, author of Home and Away

“Coyote Winds is engaging and provocative. This historical novel tells the story of the Great Depression and Dust Bowl in a way that encourages readers to think, and to want to know more. It helps us to understand both the harshness and the beauty of farm life on the southern Plains.” –Pamela Riney-Kehrberg, History Professor and Chair, Iowa State University, author of Rooted in Dust and Always Plenty to Do, and contributor to Ken Burns’ film, The Dust Bowl