For Ned Giles, a 17-year-old amateur photographer, a nightmare of harrowing misadventures begins the day he signs on to the 'Great Apache Expedition'. He is one of dozens of men hoping to free the son of a wealthy Mexican rancher kidnapped by a chillingly ferocious band of Apaches. A huntsman has captured one of their number, a wild young Apache girl, and they plan to use her as ransom. Like an animal, she bites and spits at anyone who comes near her, but finally allows Ned to wash and feed her. He begins to comprehend her nobility, beauty and strength of character, and so an intense relationship develops that is to transform their lives, but that is ultimately doomed. Inspired by real events that took place during the Great Depression, peopled with a cast of unforgettable characters, and set against the amazing landscape of Arizona, Mexico and the Sierra Madre badlands, this is a novel of high adventure, aching nostalgia and redemptive love.

Originally published in 2005 as The Wild Girl by Hyperion, New York.