Widder's Landing

A young man loses his job and is forced to relocate. No one is hiring in such bleak economic times. America finds itself threatened by a world superpower firmly in control of global trade. Money is scarce, businesses fail, and the Bank of the United States closes its doors. The country will soon be embroiled in another war. This is not present day—the year is 1811.

Craig Ridgeway, a 21-year old gunsmith from Pennsylvania, rides a flatboat down the Ohio River and settles in Breckinridge County, Kentucky to try his hand at farming. Through an accidental association with a notorious widow (the past proprietor of a liquor vault and prostitution den), he inherits a patch of rich bottomland, embraces a nearby family, and falls in love with the abandoned wife of a violent outlaw. Overcoming inexperience and hardships, Craig builds a promising new life, learning how to raise corn, tobacco and hemp. Inspired by the "Widder's" recipe, he and his wife Mary manufacture bourbon whiskey, which he markets profitably in New Orleans. A new steamboat embarks on its first journey down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, ushering in a new economic era.

But good fortune comes at a high price. The looming war with Great Britain disrupts the economy and soon overshadows Craig's life. He must make choices that affect others in times of conflict. Will he risk everything by fighting on the northern frontier? Will he use his special talents as a gunsmith and marksman to help his nation? After twice refusing to fight on the northern frontier, he has one last chance to join his fellow Kentuckians in the heroic defense of New Orleans. The epic battle on the sugarcane plantations below the city provides redemption for the young American nation—and for Craig, as he returns home to continue his adventure in life with Mary.

Widder's Landing is a story of life, love and survival set against the rugged Kentucky frontier.

"Praise for Widder's Landing...
"Widder's Landing is a banquet of first-person Kentucky history served up with plenty of first-rate adventure. More history than fiction; a total immersion in real life Kentucky. Readers will hope this first novel won't be Eddie Price's last."
- Virginia G. Carter, Executive Director
Kentucky Humanities Council, Inc.

"Eddie Price explores the vital role Kentucky played during our Second War for Independence with Great Britain. Widder's Landing is a well-researched historical overview of Kentucky's role in the War of 1812, a penetrating look into the lives of Kentuckians during this tumultuous time in the history of Kentucky and our nation."
- John M. Trowbridge, Command Historian
Kentucky National Guard

"Widder's Landing is a non-stop adventure. Love, war, earthquakes and outlaws - Eddie Price navigates his characters through natural and human-made disasters with passion and aplomb."
- Neil Chethik, Director
Carnegie Institute, Lexington, Kentucky