dilemmas. At the start of the novel, we are introduced to Olivier, a sixteen-year-old boy who has a strained relationship with his father, Georges Saruex. The narrative describes a tense day when Olivier's negligence leads to his father's fury, culminating in a violent confrontation that prompts Olivier to leave home in search of his fortune. As he joins a railroad construction crew in the remote Far West, he encounters a diverse cast of characters, including Vincent van Horst, who becomes a mentor figure. Their relationship deepens as they face various challenges together, including a violent encounter that will forever change Olivier's understanding of himself and the world around him. (This is an automatically generated summary.)