The Great Glorious Goddamn of It All

At 99 years old, irascible narrator Weldon Applegate is recuperating in the hospital after having been shot in the hip by mortal enemy Joe Mouffreau during an argument over the color of a Western movie star’s horse. In his inimitable salty language, Old Weldon recalls the early logging days in tiny Cordelia, ID, where he grew up. When Weldon is 13, his father, Tom, inherits the Lost Lot whose stand of timber promises riches for all. Tom abandons his general store and takes off with a crew of first-rate jacks of all nationalities, while Weldon must stay behind with a housekeeper known for her fortune-telling abilities. When Tom is killed by falling timber, young Weldon steps up as the new owner, following in the footsteps of legendary Applegate loggers past, but he is no match for a cruel timber boss who finds murderous ways to take the Lost Lot for himself. When Prohibition agents tear Cordy up looking for moonshine, Weldon’s struggles intensify, but he finds strength in the regulars at Shorty Wade’s, the women at the Idaho Hotel and Lady Applegate’s, and a special friend named Annie.