The Oxbow Wizard

In the quiet backcountry of the Oxbow, young Dan Evans lives a modest life surrounded by his large family and the ever‑present influence of his uncle, Bill Tangler. When an enigmatic city visitor arrives, Dan discovers a discarded green‑covered storybook tucked beneath the stranger’s bed—a rarity in a place where fiction is as scarce as pearls. Intrigued by the promise of worlds beyond his own, he slips the volume into his coat and heads for school, already dreaming of the pages he will soon explore.

Back at the roadside, Dan trades a playful race for a solitary moment with the book, losing himself in tales of distant cities and unfamiliar customs. The vivid stories awaken a hunger for knowledge that the rugged Oxbow has never offered, hinting at mysteries and adventures waiting just beyond the familiar horizon. As he balances school duties with secret reading sessions, Dan’s newfound curiosity begins to reshape his view of the world around him.