A Christian Family Mystery of the West
The Heart of the West Reborn
In the shadow of the Tetons, family legacy runs as deep as the land itself. A cedar chest, a hidden decree, and a headstone no one can explain. Some secrets were meant to stay buried. Some angels refuse to be forgotten.
A novel by Roland Hunter
On a hillside above town
At the foot of the grave stands a carved stone saddle. Tied to its horn is a ball cap bearing the number twenty-one. The saddle rests on a pair of high-top tennis shoes, unlaced.
No one knows who placed it there. Even those who loved Roy best can't say what the words carved at its base really mean:
The Story
When Trina Leah uncovers a hidden decree tucked inside her mother's cedar chest, the still waters of her life begin to stir. Old rivalries surface. Long-buried secrets awaken. And the meaning of a mysterious headstone carved with the words "Teton Angel" threatens to reveal things never meant to be discovered.
Moving between the ranches of eastern Idaho and the streets of Jackson Hole, and across fifteen years, Teton Angel follows the Robinson family and the people they love: a rancher patriarch with a quiet past, his four very different sons, a young rodeo rider who never forgot a kindness, and a woman whose survival depends on men she never saw coming.
"This story rides the line between right and wrong, good and evil, knowledge and innocence. Hold the line."
Read the opening
Jean Polson was working at the gas station in St. Anthony, Idaho. Kenny Polson had entered less than five minutes earlier.
"Good morning, Jean, how is your day going?"
Jean and Kenny were not on good terms, shall we say. They had always been battling companions on different sides of the line. Jean married Kenny's older brother when he was just out of high school, and the childish antics of both continued into his older brother's marriage.
No one knew where this hostility ever started. Both were strong-willed and never gave an inch. Kenny had a way of pushing Jean's buttons, and there was no need to add to the flavors of combat.
When Kenny's brother died unexpectedly in an unfortunate accident, Jean and Kenny had not had much to say to each other. The lines that they fought over disappeared, and Kenny just quit talking to Jean, his brother's wife, that very same day.
"That will be $6.25," Jean said as she greeted Kenny at the register. "How much gas are you getting today, Kenny?"
"Put $15 on pump number three."
Then, unexpectedly, Jean hesitated. "Kenny, I would like to ask you for some help. A favor."
Kenny stopped mid-turn. That was not something he expected.
What Readers Are Saying
"I loved this book! It was a great read. I liked that it held my attention. As I read further into the book I couldn't wait to find out what was happening next! It's mysterious, emotionally uplifting, exciting and positive. The author did a great job!"
"We met the man who wrote this book. We ordered the book and it is very interesting."
"Good read! Give it a read! Highly recommend!"
The Country
Real towns, real roads, real mountains. Teton Angel is set in the high valleys that straddle Idaho and Wyoming, where the snow drifts deep and the whole town knows your truck.
A gas station counter, a bag of no-bake cookies, and a favor that sets everything in motion.
The Circle Bar Ranch, Conrad Robinson's calving sheds, and a family that breeds cattle known as far as Texas.
Rick's Bar and Dance Hall, where Willard keeps his favorite stool and the whole valley keeps count.
Miss Leah's hotel, a café on North Cache Drive, and a sheriff who always walks the line.
Two weeks on horseback through the Teton range. No map. A scream in the trees.
Rodeo chutes, a hat full of bull names, and eight seconds that make a legend.
A twin-engine plane, a judge in a hurry, and a flight that nobody was told about.
Fresh snow on the walk, a cowbell over the door, and a stone that doesn't yet know what it wants to be.
"Seeing the present through the eyes of the past."
The Author
Roland Hunter was raised on a purebred livestock ranch. His father was widely admired in cattle circles: 100 live purebred calves from 100 cows, a ranch photographed for a livestock magazine. Roland went on to work four different purebred livestock farms, and when an economic downturn sent him looking for work in other regions, he never stopped longing for the western life he came from.
Around 2000 he began writing a novel, one paragraph and one line at a time. Years later, an automobile accident that wasn't his fault cost him his commercial driver's license. During the recovery he went back to the manuscript and finished it. What began as a setback became the chance to complete a lifelong dream.
Everyone has a story within them. This is his.
Follow along
The Gallery
Art and images from the world of Teton Angel. Tap any picture to see it full size.
From the Blog
Before the final cover, Roland painted one himself. Here is that canvas, and what every symbol on the finished cover means.
Conrad, his four sons, Roy Polson, Miss Leah and the rest of the valley. Who is who, without giving anything away.
A ranch kid, a stack of handwritten paragraphs, a highway accident, and the stubborn kind of hope that finishes what it starts.
From a St. Anthony gas station to the Rawlins rodeo chutes, the real places behind the novel and how to see them yourself.