Craig Ridgeway is only fifteen when his longing for adventure has him leaving his family home in Philadelphia. For several years he has a comfortable life in Lancaster, Pa, working as a gunsmith apprentice for Jakob Wetzel. When Jakob dies unexpectedly, Craig, who is now twenty-one, finds himself without a job or home. Unable to find a job in Lancaster he decides that the only thing to do is leave. He stays briefly in Pittsburgh but doesn't like the city, and after hearing stories about Kentucky, decides to hop a flat boat and head down the Ohio. He gets off the flatboat at Widder's Landing, so sick that he is unsure he will survive. That is when he is found by Gertrude Fuqua also known as the Widder. She strikes a bargain with Craig to nurse him back to health and pay him ten dollars if he will stay and work for her until the tobacco crop comes in. As the two get to know each other he learns of the Widder's colorful life, and also realizes that she is dying. He inherits everything the Widder owns, and decides to try his hand at farming. Soon he finds himself falling in love with the neighbor's daughter Mary but the thing is that she is already married to an outlaw whom she has left.

If I had to describe "Widder's Landing" in one word it would be that it is an epic, filled with rich historical detail, that easily drew this reader in, allowing me to connect solidly with the characters, feeling their struggles and triumphs. Eddie Price's words paint vivid descriptions, easily allowing me to envision the scenes he describes. I felt as if I were on a grand adventure traveling along with Craig as he set out on foot headed toward Pittsburgh, or when he was riding on the flatboat down the Ohio. When he arrives at Widder's Landing I couldn't imagine what might happen to him, and then we meet the Widder. Her description alone had me envisioning a hag like-creature, and her colorful past painted an even uglier picture, though for me, she was really just a lonely old lady, who was dying. It seems that before Craig came along the only confidant she had was her old mule Tom, and truthfully I shed a tear when that mule died! I found Mary's story quite interesting. She was married to a vile man, and decided to leave him, returning home to her father, going against what most people, including her mother, thought she should do. When she met Craig it was as though she was given a second chance at life. Eddie Price does a wonderful job of creating a historically accurate tale of what life must have been like during the early 1800's. I felt I was getting a history lesson while reading this story. Rich detail, wonderful characters, and a satisfying ending make this a must read for fans of historical fiction.

"Widder’s Landing" by Eddie Price is an outstanding example of historical fiction. It is set in early nineteenth century Kentucky, with the main setting being the fictional town of Cottonwood Bend. The two protagonists, Mary and Craig, both betrayed by people who claimed to love them, struggle with disappointment and the need to rebuild their lives. Craig, a gunsmith, loses his job and so travels to find new employment. Mary can’t stay with a husband who beats her. They meet thanks to the Widder. Widow Fuqua, formerly involved in crime and other underground activities, nurses the sick Craig back to health and an unlikely alliance grows between them. It is Craig who inherits her land and money. Now next door to the somewhat uptight and strictly Catholic McDonnell family, who are disapprovingly sheltering their daughter Mary while she tries to get a divorce, Craig and Mary’s paths inevitably cross. However, more challenges face them.

This fantastic story is as much character-driven as action-driven. Set against the larger backdrop of the War of 1812, current political events have a huge impact on what goes on. We get to see what activities people did in those days, how they interacted, and what problems they dealt with on a daily basis or on exceptional occasions. Everyone we meet is fascinating, either attractively or repulsively, complex and rounded. We see the whole range of human emotions and attributes, from loyalty and friendship to hatred and betrayal. Everything is so lifelike that we feel as though we are there too. This saga is a history lesson as well as a powerful, absorbing work of fiction.

In Lancaster, Pennsylvania, just before the War of 1812, Craig Ridgway works as a gunsmith with Jakob Wetzel. Jakob dies and Craig leaves for the western frontier rather than marry Jakob's temperamental, controlling daughter Anna. Craig stops briefly in Pittsburgh and becomes an iron worker, but he heads onto Kentucky. Floating down the Ohio River on a flatboat, he contracts pneumonia but his life is saved by the Widow Fuqua of Widder's Landing in Cottonwood Bend, Kentucky. The Widow, in failing health now but once the operator of a hellhole of prostitution, gambling and drinking at her dug-out home as well as being the backer of a gang of outlaws, befriends Craig and shows him how to plant crops on her land. When she dies, she leaves her three hundred four acre parcel of land to him as well as six thousand dollars in hidden coins that he finds months later. The Widow Fuqua's neighbors are strict Catholic war veteran Martin McDonnell and his family who, kind as they are, find the Widow and her shady past repugnant. Craig is attracted to Martin's daughter, Mary, who is seeking a divorce from drunken, unfaithful Jedediah. The coming war with Britain looms as does the issue of slavery as wealthy, landed neighbor Colonel Stoner owns numerous slaves.

"Widder's Landing" is historical fiction at its very, very best. Craig Ridgway, Martin McDonnell, his entire family including Mary, the Widow Fuqua, Colonel Stoner, Craig's friend Levi and all the many other characters are well-created and consistent as author Eddie Price gives the reader a clear picture of what life was like back in the early years of our country. Events like trapping raccoons and other wild animals for food and fur, building spring water wells, neighbors helping each other gather in crops and build barns, friends and relatives surviving earthquakes and river pirates, and sons going off to fight in the war, are totally believable. All these happenings are so very well-written that the readers will feel as though they are standing right there as the story progresses to its final pages. Books like "Widder's Landing" come along so rarely that reading it is a true pleasure creating memories that will last a long time.

In "Widder’s Landing" we follow Craig Ridgeway on his journey west. Craig was a gunsmith, trained by the best, Jakob Wetzel. He began working for Wetzel when he was fifteen. Wetzel’s rifles were prized possessions in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The older man’s death was a great loss to Craig; he’d lost his friend, his mentor and his livelihood. Craig loved his work but there were few job openings for a gunsmith and that led to the decision to go west to Pittsburg. If things did not work out there he would move on to Kentucky where it was rumored the grass was blue and the corn grew ten foot high. Craig began his journey on foot. He took a flat boat down the Ohio River disembarking at Widder’s Landing just outside of Cottonwood Bend, Kentucky. Along the way he made friends and witnessed death. Craig was very ill when he arrived in Kentucky. The Widder Fuqua found him and nursed him back to health, but for a price. Craig would stay until October in return for her help. He asked her to teach him about her herbal medicines. The first time he laid eyes on Mary Catherine Carpenter, he thought she was the prettiest thing he ever did see. She was in a wagon with her father rushing to escape her abusive husband and never noticed Craig.

"Widder’s Landing: Life and Love on the Kentucky Frontier" by Eddie Price is a fictional tale set in 1811. Cottonwood Bend, Kentucky, is a fictional town set along the Ohio River, in Breckinridge County. Those familiar with the area may recognize similarities between fictional Cottonwood and Cloverport, a small quaint town overlooking the Ohio River. The other locations mentioned in "Widder’s Landing" are also real. Eddie Price brings history to life in "Widder’s Landing". Although the story is fictional Price manages to work in facts. Readers will not only be entertained but will learn much of Kentucky’s history. As Price described raising tobacco (terbacky) I could see Craig, Tom and the plow as they broke the ground. I could feel their pain as they pegged the young plants. The descriptions of the culture and daily life were fascinating. I enjoyed watching the relationship between Craig and Mary blossom into love. However, my favorite character was Missus Fuqua, The Widder. Beneath her deformed, crude exterior was a kind and caring person. This book has great depth. I found it entertaining, informative and a charming read. Price has skillfully woven romance, humor and history to create a tale that will stay with the reader long after reading the last page. This is Eddie Price’s first book, but given the talent and skill he has exhibited in "Widder’s Landing", I can barely wait to see what he will come up with next time.

A great read about America in it's settler days in the early 1800's. A young man leaves PA to settle in Ky for a better life and gets lucky by marrying into a wonderful, God fearing family. The friends he makes along the way and the hardships they all endure brings you closer to every character. By the end of the book you feel like you are part of their family. Loved it!

Widder's Landing by Eddie Price is a period historical novel set in the early nineteenth century, just prior to and including the War of 1812. This incredible story traces the westward migration of young Craig Ridgeway from the settled villages of Pennsylvania to the wild, untamed frontier of Kentucky. An untimely illness is the mechanism that introduces him to the homely "widder" on the banks of the Ohio River. The relationship forged between them guides Craig to sink his personal roots deep into the fertile Kentucky soil. He finds in Kentucky a mixture of love, family, violence, and war.

I am a resident of Kentucky ... a transplant, but still a proud resident. Having never learned Kentucky History in the classroom, I have to seek out books and resources to learn about the Commonwealth that I now call home. Eddie Price's book, though a mixture of history and fiction, helped bring Kentucky history to life for me! The book is a veritable feast for a history junkie ... filled with incredibly complex characters, bursts of heart-thumping action, and expertly researched details of frontier living that lift the story off of the page and bring Kentucky frontier history to life. The author incorporates all of the important historical events of the period ... the great comet of 1811, the New Madrid earthquakes of 1811-12, and the Cane Ridge Revival. Mr. Price's research is impeccable and his and obvious personal love of his subject matter shines through.

I cannot recommend Widder's Landing highly enough. It is an epic masterpiece of Kentucky history and drama. I have read it in its entirety twice and personally recommended it to dozens of people. And I eagerly await the forthcoming sequel!

As a former student of Eddie price I could not wait to read widders landing be use having Eddie as a teacher i knew it would be a very good read. His attention to detail and the amount of research that went into this book is shown with every page. Hard book to put down

COUKDN'T PUT IT DOWN .

One of the best books I have ever read. That is, until I read the sequel. Amazing writer!