I first read the story of Glen and Bessie Hyde in a history book: in November 1928, a year after Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic, they had set out to run the rapids of the Grand Canyon in a homemade boat. Swept up by America's obsession with feats of daring, they hoped to set a record--she would be the first woman to run that treacherous stretch of the Colorado River. A month later, they vanished without a trace, and Glen's father set out on a trip to find them. Their photograph, reproduced within the brief chapter, stopped me short: they were young and striking, wearing wool fedoras, bomber jackets with fur collars. The known facts of their story were scant and unsatisfying, but from a writer's perspective, this seemed like a blessing. William Styron once said that historical novelists do best with "thin rations." And so where history left off, I decided to begin.

• One Book Arizona selection, April 2005
• Los Angeles Times Best Book of the Year
• Booklist Top Ten First Novel of the Year
• Bay Area Book Reviewers Award finalist in fiction
• Nominated for an IMPAC Literary Award

In November 1928, one year after Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic, a pair of newlyweds set out to run the rapids of the Grand Canyon in a homemade boat. Swept up by America's obsession with feats of daring, Glen and Bessie Hyde hoped to set a record—she would be the first woman to run that treacherous stretch of the Colorado River. A month later they vanished without a trace.

Based on the few known facts of Bessie and Glen Hyde's story, Grand Ambition is an account of the young lovers' journey, deftly braided with Glen's father's desperate efforts to find them. Written in lean and elegant prose, Grand Ambition is a tale of riveting suspense.

In her author's statement, Lisa Michaels explains her interest in writing a novel based on the Hydes' expedition: "I first read the story of Glen and Bessie Hyde in a history book. Their photograph, reproduced within the brief chapter, stopped me short: they were young and striking, wearing wool fedoras, bomber jackets with fur collars. The known facts of their story were scant and unsatisfying, but, from a writer's perspective, this seemed like a blessing. William Styron once said that historical novelists do best with 'thin rations.' And so where history left off, I decided to begin.