The river

"The River" by Ednah Aiken is a story set in the early 1900s American Southwest, centered on K. C. Rickard, an engineer new to Tucson, as his ambition leads him into the morally clouded world of controlling nature by diverting the Colorado River. As a new outsider to the dry heat of Arizona he reflects on his new position working directly for Tod Marshall, a powerful man in politics, as he confronts challenges filled with potential failure. The early sections introduce a cast of characters that include the Marshall and the flawed Tom Hardin, setting the stage for a tale of redemption and the trials of navigating complex relationships in a fiercely competitive landscape.