Harper's Round Table, February 25, 1896

Alaric “Allie” Todd is the youngest child of a Pacific‑coast tycoon, raised amid mansions, silk suits and a string of meticulous habits. Though his family’s fortunes stretch from Alaska to Mexico, Allie is a frail, book‑loving teenager who has never known sport, horseback riding or even a simple swim. His days are filled with quiet pastimes, flawless attire and the constant, overprotective attention of a mother determined to shield his delicate health.

Yet beneath the polished exterior stirs a restless curiosity about the broader world his father’s empire touches. Allie’s sharp mind and keen observations begin to pull him toward the rugged Northwest coast, where the raw landscape and the people who live there promise experiences his sheltered upbringing has denied him. As he ventures beyond his polished drawing‑room, the story follows his first steps into a life where wealth cannot buy the freedom he secretly craves.