From the Back Cover:
Three very different women. One dangerous journey. And a future that seems just out of reach.
Letitia holds nothing more dear than the papers that prove she is no longer a slave. They may not cause white folks to treat her like a human being, but at least they show she is free. She trusts in those words she cannot read--as she is beginning to trust in Davey Carson, an Irish immigrant cattleman who wants her to come west with him.
Nancy Hawkins is loathe to leave her settled life for the treacherous journey by wagon train, but she is so deeply in love with her husband that she knows she will follow him anywhere--even when the trek exacts a terrible cost.
Betsy is a Kalapuya Indian, the last remnant of a once proud tribe in the Willamette Valley in Oregon territory. She spends her time trying to impart the wisdom and ways of her people to her grandson. And she will soon have another person to care for.
As season turns to season, suspicion turns to friendship, and fear turns to courage, three spirited women will discover what it means to be truly free in a land that makes promises it cannot fulfill. This multilayered story from bestselling author Jane Kirkpatrick will grip readers' hearts and minds as they travel with Letitia on the dusty and dangerous Oregon trail into the boundless American West. Based on a true story.
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My Review:
I really enjoyed reading this story that is based on the true story of Letitia Carson. It really brings to light all the injustices the African American race has gone through with slavery and the hardship they experienced just trying to live life. Even though Letitia is free by paper, she really doesn't have true freedom because of the hatred and attitudes of the whites around her. I also liked the added stories of Nancy Hawkins, a white woman, and Betsy, a Kalapuya Indian. Each had their own struggles to contend with. Nancy and Letitia's stories showed the great struggle of moving out west to a better land. I cannot even imagine traveling for months in a covered wagon on dusty trails to reach the West Coast. These pioneers had a lot more fortitude then I will ever have. I'm so used to my comforts, and I can't imagine giving them up to move to a new land. The closest I have gotten to this would be heading to Russia with my parents for a short time to help them with their work as missionaries. But it still really doesn't compare to all that these folks had to endure. The other story is of "Betsy" and the Kalapuya Indians. The Indians had to give up their ways and move to the reservations when the White man began invading their territory. So much change that ended up costing the Indians their way of life.
If you're looking for a great book that will teach you a little about those who settled the west, pick up Jane Kirkpatrick's new book, A Light in the Wilderness, and enjoy a great story about 3 women who were not afraid of fighting for their futures.
Check out Jane Kirkpatrick's website to learn more about Letitia's trip out west.
***I received this book for free from Revell in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
