Shadow of a Crow, set in Wyoming in the 1890s, is a story in which a man decides he wants to get out of a life of crime and lowness. He meets a woman, also imperfect, who wants to get out of her circumstances and past life.
Wes Hawthorne, about to turn thirty, decides he does not want to work at the Redhorse Ranch any more because he has a moral awakening. After he participates in a rustling attempt in which another rider is killed, he decides he is done with the justifications of petty crime such as brand changing and rustling. He wants to get out of the shadow of his former life. He meets Pearl Vincent, who has had a bad marriage and a bad relationship, is working in a laundry, and would like to make a better life for herself.
They run into opposition when Hawthorne’s former associates want to keep him quiet. One of them, the worst one, is also nursing a grudge because he is no longer Pearl’s boyfriend.
