As the 1840s bring conflict to the Pacific Northwest’s rugged Columbia Country, new challenges face Marie Dorion Venier Toupin: the wife, mother, and Ioway Indian woman who crossed the Rocky Mountains with the Astor Expedition, the first big fur trapping expedition after Lewis and Clark’s. 

On French Prairie in the newly forming Oregon Territory, Marie strives to meet the needs of her conflict-ridden neighbors: British settlers and Americans, missionaries and disease-stricken natives, fur trappers, and French Canadian farming families, and the surviving natives of the region.

At the same time, as a mother, Marie must weave together the threads of an unraveling family. One daughter compares and judges as she seeks to find her place; another reaches for elusive evidence of her mother’s love. Marie’s memories are threatened with the emergence of a figure from the past. In the midst of this turmoil, Marie discovers an empowering spiritual truth: Unconditional love can shed light on even the darkest places in the heart.

The third book in the Tender Ties series. Based on a true story.

Awards:

Other books in this series: #1) A Name of Her Own, #2) Every Fixed Star

Reviews: 

“…when these and other characters commit such offenses, they are neither demonized nor tidily redeemed. In combining historical authenticity with an exceptional ability to render poetic the thoughts of her characters, Kirkpatrick achieves a novel that enchants as it educates.” —Publishers Weekly

“…Thorough research backs Kirkpatrick’s compelling fiction. Her description and much of the language are poetic and imaginative…This book will appeal to mothers who are raising children and grandmothers watching their grandchildren grow. It provides a realistic scene of the time period which history bugs will enjoy, and Christians will appreciate the insights Dorion gains as she learns about her faith.”— Esprit, the Magazine of Evangelical Lutheran Women Inc.

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