In 1992, Jameson Parker, the former star of Simon & Simon, was shot and almost killed while living in Los Angeles. The incident drove him into a ten-year struggle with the psychological aftereffects of trauma. It also drove him and his wife into the California mountains, where he stumbled into a world of unruly cattle, uncertain horses, the timeless routines of ranch life, and the solace of the land. An Accidental Cowboy is the story of what it"s like to have one"s life go spinning out of control and how it is possible to pick up the pieces and begin again in an entirely different sphere. With stunning, crisp writing, remarkable detail, and a flair for description, it"s a captivating story of loss, depression, and the beginnings of hope set against the backdrop of the American Southwest.