Dan E. Hendrickson on Railroad Man: Legacy Son, the American West, and Bringing History to Life

On this episode of the Big Time Talker Podcast, recorded at the American Library Association conference in Chicago, Burke Allen welcomes author Dan E. Hendrickson to discuss his historical Western novel Railroad Man: Legacy Son. Set in 1883, the novel follows Arthur Edwards, a Civil War Navy veteran tasked with helping extend the railroad from Cheyenne, Wyoming, north toward Billings, Montana. The story expands the Edwards family bloodline that Dan first developed in his earlier novels, taking readers deeper into the family's history and the rapidly changing American West. Dan discusses how growing up in Sheridan, Wyoming, working on ranches, riding horses, and experiencing the landscape firsthand helped him bring authenticity to the novel. He also shares the extensive historical research behind the story, including the expansion of the railroad, the booming cattle industry, and the complicated relationships between railroad interests, cattlemen, and Native American communities. At the center of the novel is Arthur's struggle with trauma and his relationship with Eileen, the granddaughter of Crow leader Chief Pretty Eagle. When Eileen and her mother are kidnapped amid a dispute surrounding the railroad, Arthur is forced to confront his past and prove that he can carry forward the legacy of his abolitionist parents. Dan also explains how he balances historical detail with the ingredients of a page-turning Western: romance, personal stakes, memorable characters, action, and a hero with something meaningful to fight for.  This episode of Burke Allen’s Big Time Talker was recorded live in the great city of Chicago at the American Library Association Podcast Pavilion, thanks to the Next Generation Indy Book Awards, Headline Books and Speakermatch.com!