Softback. Sunset image of a mounted cowboy with cream title.

Arizona, 1878. When long-time widower Earl finds an injured deaf youth on the prairie, he reluctantly decides to help the young man as compensation for not being there to save his wife and baby from a Mojave raiding party years earlier. He lodges “Bill” with a local widow, Laura, whose daughter is deaf. Soon, sign language and shared loss deepen their friendship and begin his healing. Together, they stand firm against the town’s prejudices, led by the boorish Mayor Potter. But just when Earl believes his life has turned a corner, and he is ready to embrace love for this new woman, he learns the truth about his lost family.

As his dark past threatens to return, Earl must confront his guilt and prejudice or risk losing everything again.

Can Earl overcome his past failings and face down danger?

Will Laura’s kindness and faith be repaid?

Can the boy’s mistakes be fixed?

Will love prevail?

Signs Of Life is a slow-burn Western love story where guilt, prejudice and found family are tackled with hands and hearts. This book will appeal to those who enjoyed Clint Eastwood’s portrayal of grouchy mid-lifer William Munny in “Unforgiven”. It’s been compared to “Open Range”, and shares that film’s mid-life love story and a central character looking to put his past behind him. It’s also been likened to JoJo Moyes’ “The Giver Of Stars”, which deals with prejudice and boasts a strong female central character.

Review: I don’t believe I’ve ever read a Western novel before, so I didn’t know what to expect when I picked ups Signs Of Life. I was happy to discover it was a great story, with many layers, and set against the backdrop of Arizona in 1878. The novel explores many difficult relationships, character growth and the topic of loss. It also focuses on a deaf community and prejudices they face. The characters were brought to life, and I went through the story experiencing their roller coaster of emotions.A great read whether you have picked up a Western novel before or not!About the Author – Chris Towndrow has been a writer since 1991.He began writing science fiction, inspired by Asimov, Iain M Banks, and numerous film and TV canons. After a few years creating screenplays across several genres, in 2004 he branched out into playwriting and has had several productions professionally performed. This background is instrumental in his ability to produce realistic, compelling dialogue in his books.His first published novel was 2012’s space opera “Sacred Ground”. He then changed focus into “hard” sci-fi books, and the Enna Dacourt pentalogy was completed in 2023. He has always drawn inspiration from the big screen, and 2019’s quirky romantic black comedy “Tow Away Zone” owes much to the film canon of the Coen Brothers. This has been his most well-received book to date, and spawned two sequels in what became the “Sunrise trilogy”. His first historical fiction novel, “Signs Of Life”, was published by Valericain Press in 2023. In 2023, Chris returns to his passion for writing accessible humour and will devote his efforts to romantic comedies. The first of these scripts is currently in development. Chris lives on the outskirts of London with his family and works as a video editor and producer. He is a member of the UK Society of Authors.