“Manuel has a way of jolting his readers into the truth…He pulls at our wandering spirits through Robbie’s unrelenting sense of adventure and makes us want to go out and touch the desert, the canyons, the stars, the sky.”
Solitario: The Lonely One
Solitario: The Lonely One (Atmosphere Press) tells the story of river guide, Robbie Ducharme, seeking to recover his business and his sanity after the tragic events described in Manuel’s previous novel, The Lower Canyons. Ducharme hires as his assistant 18-year-old Lara Hart, herself seeking to find direction as the product of a broken family and a survivor of the Lower Canyons debacle.
On the eve of a scheduled trip down the Rio Grande, heavy rains send that river into flood and persuade Ducharme to divert his group to a never-before-run desert arroyo. The clients—men and women both young and old—are at first thrilled to enter this awe-inspiring landscape, but soon enough run into trouble. The group is forced to split, Robbie leading one and Lara the other. Each of them struggles to lead his or her group to safety, while wrestling with inner demons and the return of a vengeful adversary.
The novel poses the ultimate question: Are we right to be bold with our lives and the lives of others when the potential rewards are great? Or are we venturing where we should not tread?
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Author's Praise for Solitario: The Lonely One
“Anyone who has ever wanted to run a river, make new discoveries, or connect the dots between past and present experience will find Solitario: The Lonely One a powerful story.”
D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
“Manuel has succeeded in producing another thought-provoking, thrilling, and inspiring tale of life on the river…The story is the perfect blend of adventure, interpersonal relationships, and excitement.”