Weeks after arriving in Colorado to start a new farm, the Hollowell family is looking at disaster when fifteen-year-old Owen witnesses the theft of their mules. Learning that Hercules and Peaches will likely be sold to the mines, Owen sets out to track the rustler over the mountains. It’s all Ma can do to hold back Owen’s irrepressible kid brother, Till. The outlaw’s trail leads to Telluride, the tempestuous “City of Gold.” Owen gets help from a resourceful girl named Molly and dubious assistance from Till, who shows up on the train from Durango.

Telluride’s notorious marshal finally takes an interest when Owen identifies the rustler in a photo of the Wild Bunch. The lawman leads Owen and Till on horseback into the canyon country, all the way to Robbers Roost, Butch Cassidy, and the Sundance Kid. With City of Gold, rich in adventure, history, and humor, Will Hobbs has spun an odyssey in three weeks, a stirring tale set in the twilight of the Wild West.

Awards and Honors for City of Gold

Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection Award