Across open ground

the long version

"Seventeen-year-old Walter Pascoe sets out for his first season as a sheep herder and learns quickly the dangers and beauties of the land. Also awakening to matters of the heart, Walter falls in love with a beautiful trapper named Trina Ivy. As they grow closer, America is on the brink of entering the First World War and is beginning to feel an economic strain and a growing sense of patriotism. When Walter is drafted, he is bound by duty to leave the land and his lover to serve his country. Beauty and hardship are intertwined in this novel as Walter and Trina grieve over personal trials, fractured relationships, and private losses. In spite of adversity, they learn to find strength and grace born out of a humble partnership with this harsh and varied landscape."--BOOK JACKET.