Cochetopa Dreams
When Susan O'Brian first heard about the caretaker job at the Circle J Ranch near Saguache, Colorado, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to forge a new life for her and her son, Ben. The picturesque beauty of the untamed wilderness promised to rekindle her spirit and fulfill Susan's dream of a life away from the crush of the city. Although enamored with the land, Susan soon discovers that the Circle J holds some terrifying secrets linking her to the lives of the ranch's founders: secrets with the power to invade her dreams and give her glimpses into the ranch's long forgotten past. For the nearby woods were once the setting of a great family tragedy, an event that cost the life of Nathaniel, a boy whose mother, Ruth, was at one time owner of the Circle J Ranch. Susan's dreams eventually become visitations as she finds herself learning the details of the tragic story from Ruth's ghost. Suddenly, Susan's own life begins to parallel Ruth's when an early winter blizzard descends on the mountains and her son becomes entangled in a life and death struggle similar to the one that claimed Nathaniel's life all those years ago.
- Published
- 2006
- ISBN
- 1-932738-34-7
- Pages
- 288
- Place
- Colorado
- Publisher
- Western Reflections Publishing, Inc.
- Listed at
- $14.95
Publication details from Open Library. The price shown is the last one on record and is historic, not a current offer.
- Direct from us info@westernreflectionspublishing.com or (336) 565-6915. We pack and post from Lake City.
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About this book
Cochetopa Dreams is a 288-page novel by Carroll E. Allison, set on a ranch near Saguache, Colorado. The catalogue lists its subjects as dreams, ranch life and fiction.
The description follows Susan O'Brian, who hears about a caretaker job at the Circle J Ranch and sees a chance to forge a new life for herself and her son, Ben. The untamed wilderness promises to rekindle her spirit and fulfill her dream. Her dreams soon turn into visitations, in which the ghost of Ruth, a former owner of the ranch, tells her about a family tragedy that cost the life of a boy named Nathaniel. When an early winter blizzard descends on the mountains, Susan's own life begins to parallel Ruth's as her son is caught in a life and death struggle.
In a podcast episode released in March 2025, the author talks about the book as a historical novel set in 19th-century western Colorado that blends frontier life with ghostly encounters. Open Library lists a 2006 edition from Western Reflections Publishing, Inc.
Who it is for
Readers of Western fiction who like a ranch setting and a touch of the supernatural will find the most here. The podcast page compares it to Louis L'Amour, Larry McMurtry and Willa Cather, which tells you the tone it aims for. It is a fit for people who know the Saguache and Gunnison country, and for readers who enjoy a single mother's fresh start as a plot.
About the author
Carroll E. Allison discusses the book's inspiration on the Beyond the Range podcast, including personal experiences that shaped it. That page gives no biography, and we found none elsewhere. His author page lists this book.
Ways to use this book
Planning a trip to Saguache
A reader who wants to see the country can start in the town of Saguache. The museum's own listing gives its phone number, (719) 655-2557, according to the Saguache Chamber page, so call ahead for hours instead of relying on a general listing.
Learning the Ute names
The county article explains that Saguache is a Ute word, and the pass article does the same for Cochetopa. A reader can use both to learn what place names in the novel's setting mean before starting.
Finding a copy
Open Library lists a 2006 edition. Our contact page is the best route to a copy.
Go deeper
Cochetopa Dreams is set near Saguache, Colorado, in the San Luis Valley. These resources describe the county, its museum and the mountain pass that gives the book its name, so a reader can picture the real country.
Saguache County
A Colorado Encyclopedia article on the county known as the northern gateway to the San Luis Valley. It says the word Saguache comes from the Ute language and means blue green earth.
Colorado Encyclopedia: Saguache County → (opens in a new tab)
Saguache County Museum
A Wikipedia entry for the museum, which it says occupies an adobe building dating to 1870 that served as a school, courthouse and jail before the community saved it in 1958.
Cochetopa Pass
A Wikipedia article on the pass in the Cochetopa Hills, saying the name is a Ute word for pass of the buffalo and that the original route is a maintained gravel county road.
Good to know
Is Cochetopa Dreams fiction?
Where is it set?
Who is the main character?
When was it published?
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