In 1921, Clarence Budington Kelland introduced America to Scattergood Baines, a man so large in both stature and ambition that a whole valley couldn't contain him. Arriving in Coldriver Valley with nothing but his wits and a trunk full of optimism, Scattergood is the kind of outsider who refuses to stay outside. He sees what others miss: potential in a struggling community, opportunity where others see only obstacles. Within hours of his arrival, he's not just negotiating for a store, he's imagining what this town could become, and himself along with it. What's immediately charming isn't just his size or his folksy confidence, but his genuine delight in the puzzle of making a life somewhere new. This is American optimism at its most grounded: Scattergood doesn't dream wildly, he calculates cleverly, and his vision for transforming Coldriver through commerce and community is as practical as it is bold. The character proved so irresistible that he spawned six films and a beloved radio series. But it all begins here, in this first novel, with a large man, a small valley, and the collision between ambition and belonging.
