The Powell Expeditions

Debut author Tim Piper takes readers on a rip-roaring adventure through the American west, where a single step into the unknown changes everything for young Jubilee Walker. “The Powell Expeditions” (Sunshine Parade Publishing, January 15, 2024) follows Jubilee on a westward trek during the late 1860s, where he encounters native tribes, survives harsh winters, learns valuable life skills, makes new friends, and discovers his journey is not just physical, but a quest to find a sense of belonging and purpose.

After his mother’s death, seventeen-year-old Jubilee Walker asks to join a scientific expedition led by Major John Wesley Powell, a family friend. Powell initially refuses, but Jubil’s persistence and resourcefulness eventually win him a place on Powell’s crew. However, Jubil’s plans for a life of adventure are complicated by his deepening feelings for his best friend, Nelly Boswell, who is reluctant to spend her life with a man who insists on such a dangerous lifestyle. How will Jubil navigate the hardships and lawlessness of the American West? And will he be forced to choose between a life of adventure and the girl he loves?

Jubil’s story draws on the real-life adventures of naturalist, college professor, and one-armed Civil War veteran Major John Wesley Powell during his Colorado River Exploring Expeditions. Powell became the first explorer to summit Longs Peak in the Colorado Rockies and navigate the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, fixing his place in history as one of America’s great explorers.