Acclaimed writer Robert Laxalt's spare, precise, and lyrical prose perfectly captures the tension and drama of a rabies epidemic at Peter Lorda's Northern Nevada ranch.

Robert Laxalt graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno in 1947. Laxalt joined the staff of the university in 1954, first as director of News and Publications and later as director of the University of Nevada Press, which he founded. He was named a Reynolds Distinguished Visiting Professor and held the position of Distinguished Nevada Author Chair. He is the author of seventeen books, including the critically acclaimed Sweet Promised Land. He lived in Washoe Valley until his death in 2001.