The Lower Canyons (Atmosphere Press) tells the story of four characters—two men and two women—who seek to refashion their lives after a serious setback. Robbie Ducharme, fired from his job as a rafting guide on the Chattooga River, flees to the windblown expanse of West Texas to open his own guiding business on the Rio Grande. Janey Hart, recently divorced, hopes that by joining one of Robbie’s trips she can surround herself with beauty and bond with her teenage daughter. Fifteen-year-old Sayda Pacheco is fleeing the gang violence of her native Honduras, seeking a better life in the U.S., while ranch hand Danny Gallagher, replaced at work by an undocumented immigrant, vows to stop any “illegals” from crossing the border.

All these characters come together on the Lower Canyons of the Rio Grande, a place of astounding beauty and isolation. Each must face his or her own demons and muster the strength to survive the challenges of the river and the conflicts among its human travelers.