Sojourner: A High Country Frontier Short Story

by Josh Jensen

Is solitude freedom or refuge?

Silas Hayes is a man in motion—traveling west through America on foot in 1850, earning coin with his fists, and guided by a quiet code. He has no use for towns or permanence, seeking what his father once called Saor ó dhaoine—freedom from people. He believes he might find it in the Utah Territory.

The high-altitude wilderness tests him wolves in the dark, rivers and mountains that demand hard choices.

When Silas meets Nora, a lone survivor on the trail, his solitude is unsettled. What lies ahead is no longer only a matter of survival, but of responsibility—and human connection.

65 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 13, 2026

About the author

Josh Jensen was thirteen when a murder rocked his hometown of Payson, Utah. The case stuck with him, planting the seed for a modern thriller with a Western soul set in his home state. That idea became his first novel — No Easy Way Back which went on to win a 2025 Best Indie Book Award (BIBA) in the action category.

These days, Josh balances a marketing career with coaching wrestling and escapes into the mountains whenever he can. Utah is home, and always will be.

You can contact him at jmjensenauthor@gmail.com or on Instagram @jmjensenbooks

Reviews

[Colin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great, short story that gives fans of Graham Hayes a little background into how the Hayes Family ended up in Utah back in the 1800’s. While short and I wanted more, the writing is great! The ending sequence will leave you with an impression of how hard life was in those days and just how tough this family is and will be!

[Trad Leatherman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was gifted this 46 page novella by the author in addition to the first Graham Hayes novel No Easy Way Back. I was pumped to start this series and after reading this very descriptive novella my interest is even more piqued. The writing is crisp, descriptive, and fast-paced.