"They came by river and by wagon train, braving the endless distances of the Great Plains and the icy passes of the Sierra Nevada. They were men like Linus Rawlings, a restless survivor of Indian country who'd headed east to see the ocean but left his heart - and his home - in the West. They were women like Lilith Prescott, a smart, spirited beauty who fled her family and fell for a gambling man in the midst of a frontier gold boom. There pioneering...

"The town of De Smet is hit with terrible, howling blizzards and Laura and her family must ration their food and coal. When the supply train doesn't arrive, Almanzo Wilder and his brother realize something must be done. They begin an impossible journey in search of provisions, before it's too late"--P. [4] of cover.

"Elizabeth and Wynn find that their commitment to God and to each other gives their life meaning. Can their love for each other sustain them through a harsh winter, loneliness, and rigors of life without any of the conveniences they're used to?"--Provided by publisher.

During the 1848 Gold Rush, a former Texas Ranger, an Eastern attorney, and a crippled war veteran and his wife are among the pioneers whose values and courage are tested in the quest for gold and the struggle to create a new life.