For the first fourteen years of his life, David K. Mc Arthur lived on a huge sheep ranch encompassing the slopes of Idaho's Coyote Mountain. Left with his aunt and uncle while the rest of his family lived in California, David wouldn't meet his siblings until he turned three.
David's tiny home had no electricity or running water. When his family visited, a tarp was strung across the room to create some measure of privacy for the two families. The children slept in the tiny attic.
From the Shadows of Coyote Mountain recounts David's eventful life-and the tensions that brewed within his family.
Those who grew up in the poverty of the Great Depression and the dustbowl era had two paths laid out for them. They could give up and subside on what little they had or they could fight for something more.
David chose to fight. His path led him to his family in Oakland, a tour with the US Marine Corp, and a Captaincy at the Oakland Fire Department. This is a man who, quite literally, survived fire and flood before he reached his teens. This is his story.
About the Author: David K. Mc Arthur was raised in poverty on a ranch on the slopes of Idaho's Coyote Mountain. He lived with his Aunt Nellie and Uncle Angus until he was fourteen.
Leaving home for his family in Oakland, California, Mc Arthur dropped out of high school and joined the US Marines. After his tour, he remained in California, where he married and raised three children.
Returning to school, Mc Arthur earned a degree in Municipal Management while serving in the Oakland Fire Department and taking on different construction jobs. He eventually started a concrete pumping business with a friend and retired from the fire department with the rank of Captain.
After corresponding with two ladies writing a book about "a crazy old lady" named Nellie, Mc Arthur was inspired by them to tell his own story. From the Shadows of Coyote Mountain is the result.
