When the Burgert family moves from San Francisco to Seattle in 1852, Kathryn is convinced her father has destroyed her life, until she meets Jason, a lumberjack with dreams for a bright future.

" ... Irma Lee Emmerson tells the true account of her spontaneous, covert decision to leave the comforts of her sister's San Francisco home to work as a second cook at a logging camp in Coos Bay, Oregon. During this impulsive journey, Irma meets with obstacles and victories that give her insight into her capabilities as never before. After years of rejection from prospective employers and love interests, Irma proves that she can support herself financially...

In a small Louisiana mill town in 1940, Jolene does not want her Momma to marry the logger who is courting her, but it seems that even her most defiantly bad behavior cannot make him go away.

In 1878, eleven-year-old Annabel and her parents survive a year of adventure which includes floating downriver in two shacks along with a group of Michigan lumbermen moving logs.