The Ranch

This novel vividly recounts the actions of three protestors disabling bulldozers to protect the land from a housing development. Two brothers-Don and Drew--grow marijuana on a nearby ranch and raise savvy pit bulls. In a bar brawl on the Colorado river, Don dives into the water to get away. An assailant follows, they grapple, and one of them drowns. An acquaintance escapes from a mental institution, steals his father's motorcycle, money and identity, and pursued by the police, leads them to the ranch. The shootout and raid are described in gripping detail. These doings narrate the illegal activities of rebels, some of whom survive. Tension and suspense propel a sharp story enlivened by nature and animals.