The Invisible Lariat recalls the story of a family that harbors resentments so deep the members are homicidal. Their saga starts in Kentucky in the early 1800s when young Douglas finally does the unthinkable in the very moment his mother is fighting for her life. The result of that night sets the background for the next twenty years of adventures lived by his brother, William, his daughter, Rose Mary, and Sam.

This adventure captures the growing pains of a nation expanding through the lens of people who lived it. It addresses slavery, the surveyors of the west, Native American genocide, and Mexican ranchero displacement. These challenges take these friends away from each other and then bring them back again with the discovery of gold in the foothills of the Sierras.

While Rose Mary feels the pull of freedom, love, family, and wealth, she also finds adventure in her travels with other brave Americans trying to carve a living and a new life out of the lush valleys of California. Her travels take her places she could only dream of. She meets those who will teach her to survive in a profession that is typically mastered by her masculine counterparts. Rose Mary is tenacious. She will not be discouraged from doing what she knows is right for her and her family. She will stop at nothing to protect the people she loves, and her determination proves to be a determent to those who love her.