ODYSSEY DREAMS is the story of six brave women and men: the runaway slave-girl and prophetic dreamer who escaped the chains and ignorance of the plantation; the socialite who wanted to raise a family without pretense
and superficiality the retired schoolteacher of mythology who wanted to live her own great adventure; the fur trapper turned guide after fur-bearing animals were decimated; the retired sea captain who could not thrive in the confinement of crowded, dirty cities; and, the native American shaman who was making his final trail.
They began as strangers but they ended as heroes to one another.
The Oregon Trail tested the spirit of every pioneer. It was the road to freedom, yet it was also the path of death and despair. Many would perish from disease, some by river crossings and other accidents and a few by acts of violence.
Still, they entered the vast untamed prairie until their numbers became a flood. These settlers risked everything to manifest their dreams. They wanted the freedom to be themselves, to clear free land and to build farms on fertile soil and to end their days with the sense that they had a purpose.
Dennis R. Archambault believes in doing extensive research for his stories. For “Odyssey Dreams” he read over 100 pioneer journals and half as many other works covering diverse topics such as: ex-slave narratives (for Rachel’s dialog), Native American Mythology, flora and fauna on the Oregon Trail, wagon construction and maintenance, animal care, diseases of man and beast, among others. He developed a two-foot stack of 3X5 card notes, 90% of which could not be used.
Dennis has written numerous feature film and television scripts, has a number of articles published as well as a poem or two. He holds a Bachelors of Science in Business with a minor in Engineering (Arizona State University); a Masters of Public Administration with a Terrorism Psychology specialty (University of Southern California (USC); and, a Masters of Fine Arts in Cinema-Television with a specialty in Production (USC) – and he has enough units for a third Masters in Scriptwriting (USC). He is currently working on a Doctorate in Mythology (Pacifica Graduate Institute).
