Gretchen Kohler is an Amana storekeeper's daughter with a secret passion for writing. But artistic pursuits are frowned upon in her conservative Amana village, so she confines her poems and stories to her journals, letting only close friends read them. When a young reporter comes into her store, she believes she's found a kindred spirit. She shares a few of her stories with him--only to have her trust betrayed in the worst of ways, resulting in trouble...

"When Karlina Richter discovers that a new shepherd will be sent to her village, she fears that she'll no longer be allowed to help her father with the sheep. She'll be relegated back to kitchen work, stuck inside all day. Her fears increase when the new shepherd shows little interest in the flock -- or in divulging why he's suddenly been sent East. Is he keeping secrets that will impact Karlina's family?" --P. [4] of cover.

She agreed to become a rail spy, but who is using the secret information she provides?

As anti-German sentiment during WWI threatens to tear apart the peaceful life of the Amana Colonies, the families must rally to protect their own.