Journey to Aravaipa Canyon

In the late 1800s, two young friends from Copenhagen, Denmark, move to America to seek their fortunes. Emil Kielberg and Carl Birkenfeld begin their lives in their new country by mining gold. They save their money, and in time both men follow the individual paths of their dreams. Carl opens a saloon, while Emil homesteads more than 160 acres of Arizona land.
As time goes on, their businesses flourish. Carl becomes the constable of Tucson, and Emil raises prize-winning fruit. With his finances now in order, Emil is free to send for his lifelong love, Ida, who awaits his summons in the old country. Emil and Ida marry, and Carl marries a Spanish girl named Dolores. The men remain friends, even as they become husbands and fathers.
The families are so close, in fact, that Emil’s son ends up marrying Carl’s daughter. Grandchildren arrive—as does tension, because no family is perfect. But Emil and Carl have a friendship built on a strong foundation, and they will keep their families together, despite the dangers of the Wild West and the rapid changes in the country they now call home.
Based on a true story, this historical novel delves into the lives and thoughts of two Arizona pioneers and their families from late nineteenth century to the Great Depression and beyond.