A vividly written biography of one of Colorado's first families. General Palmer, founder of Colorado Springs and the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad, is well known to Coloradans. But lesser known and just as compelling in many ways, are his wife Queen and their daughters, who inhabited one of the great houses in the West--Glen Eyrie. Almost like a fairy tale in its conception, their relationship was a fascinating blend of frontier challenges and gracious living amid the Wild West of the 1870s and '80s. It's the Downton Abbey of the West, with a strong central character (General Palmer) surrounded by a loyal but headstrong wife and growing daughters.