A classic nineteenth-century frontier adventure of captivity, courage, friendship, and an unforgettable search across the American West.
When the Ainsley and Bently families leave Iowa to establish new homes in the wild Yellowstone country, they believe they are beginning a promising new chapter in their lives. Their ranches slowly take shape among mountain valleys, rushing rivers, abundant wildlife, and the dangers of an unsettled frontier.
Then Lillian Ainsley vanishes.
Taken far from her family, Lillian faces years of separation and uncertainty. As she struggles to adapt to a life she never chose, she forms a deep friendship with Lewanna, a chief’s daughter whose compassion becomes her greatest source of comfort and protection.
Back home, most believe Lillian is dead. Mathew Bently does not.
Holding fast to the memory of his childhood companion, Mathew undertakes a dangerous solitary search through Montana and the Yellowstone region. His journey leads him across snowbound mountains, steaming hot springs, swollen rivers, buffalo country, outlaw camps, and seemingly endless wilderness—until a single clue rekindles his hope.
First published in 1897, Owen P. Dabney’s Seven Years with the Indians is a vivid example of early American Western popular fiction: a fast-moving story of hardship, rescue, loyalty, romance, and survival on the frontier.
Historical Note: This work is reproduced as a period novel and reflects nineteenth-century language, attitudes, and representations of Native American people that modern readers may find dated or offensive.
