This
is a story of the immigrant west, when the wagon trains were bringing white
settlers by the thousands to join the gold miners in California and what would
become the adjacent western states. One family of immigrants is the May family,
which includes Naomi, their only and recently widowed daughter. One of the
travelers in the same wagon train they have joined is John Lowry, a half-breed
Pawnee driving a pack of mules to be sold to one of the forts along the way.
Coming from very different backgrounds, these two find love in each other, only
to have that love tested in unimaginable ways by the rigors and dangers of the
journey they are on.
A
product of love and research by its author, this book tells in real detail how
hard life really was on the romanticized trek west for the people looking for a
new life in the unconquered lands there. It also tells a little about the
Native Americans that originally held the land, and their various responses to
the influx of unwelcome strangers into their home. Told from the points of view
of both Naomi and John, it is a tale of strength in the face of grief,
resilience in adversity, and how love can provide both. Exceptional read.
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