Wagon Train Dreams by Linda Ford

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1880s – Traveling

Forbidden love and unwavering courage.

Seeking a fresh start, widowed Hazel packs her belongings and joins her family in a covered wagon headed west. She yearns for a safe and stable life for herself and her son. But the tranquility she seeks is disrupted when she finds herself drawn to Joe Dumont, the half-native, half-white scout for their wagon train. Though his gentle spirit calls to her, Hazel knows a relationship with Joe would never bring the security she desires, nor would society accept their love.

Joe discovers in Hazel a woman who touches his heart, but the prejudice she would face for associating with him plagues his thoughts. Caught between two worlds, he understands the challenges of their growing attraction and tries to discourage it. Even as he tries, and fails, to control his own heart.

Despite the odds stacked against them, Joe and Hazel’s feelings only grow stronger on the journey. On the open trail with only their hearts to guide them, Joe and Hazel discover a love destined to change their lives. But the hostility of others and threats from angry men seem about to tear them apart. Will they find the courage to stand up against prejudice and claim their love? Or will the clashing of their very different worlds keep them eternally apart?

Trail of Promises by Susan F. Craft

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1753 – Traveling

A marriage of convenience will protect her reputation on the long trail ahead, but he’s barely more than a stranger…

Tessa Harris is a woman without options. When she’s stranded nearly two hundred miles from her destination, her only companions are a former British Cavalry officer and his two young brothers. Society dictates they cannot travel without a chaperone, but can she trust this handsome stranger to protect her if they choose to marry? And if so, should she show her feelings or guard her heart? She’s learned the hard way how painful it is to love a man who doesn’t reciprocate.

Stephen Griffith has enough responsibility caring for his young brothers, and now he shoulders the massive responsibility of keeping his new wife safe as they cross the wilderness toward a new life. And though he tries to keep her at arm’s length, reminding himself their marriage may only be a temporary arrangement, he cannot seem to shake the feelings growing for her.

When they fall into the hands of outlaws, Tessa and Stephen must overcome their hardest obstacle yet. Only God can bring them safely to the end of the trail where enduring love awaits.

Wagon Train Promises by Linda Ford

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1880s – Traveling

The heart knows no bounds.

Louise promised her dying mother that she would become a nurse and do her best to relieve suffering of the ill and injured. She sets out on a wagon-train journey for the West where she will provide care to those in need in the untamed territory. Even if she wasn’t already considered beyond marriageable age, her goals allow no room for romance. Seeing the attraction between her traveling companion and Cecil, she goes out of her way to nurture that relationship.

Cecil has always done his best to hide his sorrow at losing his mother and then his grandparents. Instead, he focuses on helping others. He accompanies his father and brother on the wagon train. Once his family is safely across the country, he intends to start a new life without the sad memories of the past and with the love of someone who will hear his heart.

Stranded by a flooding river and forced to work together, Cecil is attracted to Louise’s quiet strength. He finds himself telling her things he’s never told anyone else. But she maintains a distance, reluctant to accept anything more than his friendship. However, his selflessness and warmth awaken feelings she never expected, disrupting not only her own plans but also interfering with her matchmaking efforts.

Can Cecil find a way to convince her that his heart is hers alone? And ultimately obtain the home and belonging he desires?

Dare she surrender to what her heart yearns for, or will she cling to her belief that Cecil and her friend belong together? Can she find a way to keep her promise to her mother, and still accept the sweet love blossoming between herself and Cecil?

Love’s Winding Road by Susan F. Craft

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1753 – Traveling

They were forced into this marriage of convenience, but there’s more at stake than their hearts on this wagon train through the mountain wilderness.

When Rose Jackson and her Irish immigrant family join a wagon train headed for a new life in South Carolina, the last thing she expects is to fall for the half-Cherokee wagon scout along the way. But their journey takes a life-changing turn when Rose is kidnapped by Indians. Daniel comes to her rescue, but the effects mean their lives will be forever intertwined.

Daniel prides himself on his self-control—inner and outer—but can’t seem to get a handle on either when Rose is near. Now his life is bound to hers when the consequences of her rescue force them to marry. Now it’s even more critical he maintain that self-control to keep her safe.

When tragedy strikes at the heart of their strained marriage, they leave for Daniel’s home in the Blue Ridge Mountains. As they face the perils of the journey, Rose can’t help but wonder why her new husband guards his heart so strongly. Why does he resist his obvious attraction for her? And what life awaits them at the end of love’s winding road?

Wagon Train Song by Linda Ford

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1887 – Traveling

Unexpected romance on journey west.

Haunted by a guilty secret, Marnie’s eager to leave her past in the dust of the trail. She embarks on a wagon train journey to reunite with her son, a North-West Mounted Policeman. What she doesn’t count on is Gabe, a widower and friend of her late husband coming along. He is a reminder of everything she yearns to escape.

But, Gabe sees this as opportunity to repay an old debt owed to her late husband. With unwavering resolve, he pledges to safeguard her journey. He’s weathered storms to raise his sons. He is sure he can persuade Marnie to accept his help.

The trail throws them together, weaving their joint efforts into more than they anticipated.

Amidst the rugged landscapes and trails of the frontier, can Marnie and Gabe overcome the shadow of their pasts and embrace the promise of a new beginning full of unexpected love?

Wild Heart’s Haven by Lacy Williams

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mid 1800s – Oregon trail

Rachel never wanted to travel into the wilderness. The westward trail has stolen everything from her. Her home. Her family. Her husband. Now a match made out of necessity has trapped her in a marriage with a man she can’t stand.

Owen likes Rachel about as much as his horse likes a burr under its saddle. She’s bossy and stubborn with an independent streak a mile wide. And a baby on the way.

He can’t help feeling responsible for the prickly mother-to-be. A marriage of convenience is the right thing to do. But that doesn’t mean he has to like it. He just has to survive it until they reach Oregon.

Chasing the Horizon by Mary Connealy

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1869 – Traveling

Her only chance at freedom waits across the horizon.

Upon uncovering her tyrannical father’s malevolent plot to commit her to an asylum, Beth Rutledge fabricates a plan of her own. She will rescue her mother, who had already been sent to the asylum, and escape together on a wagon train heading west. Posing as sisters, Beth and her mother travel with the pioneers in hopes of making it to Idaho before the others start asking too many questions.

Wagon-train scout Jake Holt senses that the mysterious women in his caravan are running from something. When rumors begin to spread of Pinkerton agents searching relentlessly for wanted criminals who match the description of those on his wagon train, including Beth, she begins to open up to him, and he learns something more sinister is at hand. Can they risk trusting each other with their lives–and their hearts–when danger threatens their every step?

A Trail Untamed by Lacy Williams

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mid 1800s – Oregon trail

August is a loner and prefers it that way. He only took the marriage wager to gain breathing room from his overbearing older brother. Besides, the wagon train still has a long journey before it reaches Oregon. Maybe he’ll meet someone who turns his head.

Felicity longs for love and family, someone to choose her above all. After a wagon train accident robs her of her voice and leaves her dependent on the kindness of strangers, she finds herself in August’s care. And she can’t help falling the spell of a man who shows a deep well of kindness and anticipates her every need.

But August only sees her as a friend. Can a mousy, shy spinster like her win the heart of a man like August?

The Rose by Cara Grandle

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1848 – Traveling

Under the thumb of her overbearing half-brother, Rose Briggs fights for survival on the treacherous Oregon Trail. Her sole desire is to claim independence and establish a mercantile close to her beloved Porcelain Doll sisters. Unbeknownst to her, she becomes entangled in the perilous schemes of a cunning sibling duo, Boone and Sandy, masterminds of a ruthless ring of thieves.

Amos Pate, a former outlaw, has shed his past and the weight of destitution, determined never to steal again. Yet, when his loved ones’ lives hang in the balance, he is torn between honoring his pledge and taking action.

United by circumstance, Rose and Amos forge ahead as allies, forever evading the clutches of a relentless criminal gang. Their hopes, dreams, and existence hinge on outsmarting their adversaries, for failure would mean surrendering all they hold dear.

The Rose by Cara Grandle

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1848 – Traveling

Under the thumb of her overbearing half-brother, Rose Briggs fights for survival on the treacherous Oregon Trail. Her sole desire is to claim independence and establish a mercantile close to her beloved Porcelain Doll sisters. Unbeknownst to her, she becomes entangled in the perilous schemes of a cunning sibling duo, Boone and Sandy, masterminds of a ruthless ring of thieves.

Amos Pate, a former outlaw, has shed his past and the weight of destitution, determined never to steal again. Yet, when his loved ones’ lives hang in the balance, he is torn between honoring his pledge and taking action.
United by circumstance, Rose and Amos forge ahead as allies, forever evading the clutches of a relentless criminal gang. Their hopes, dreams, and existence hinge on outsmarting their adversaries, for failure would mean surrendering all they hold dear.

Shenandoah Hearts by Carrie Fancett Pagels

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1754 – Virginia

Talented silversmith, Magdalene Sehler, departs from Philadelphia and the business run by Jacob Owens but leaves a portion of her heart with him. To her surprise, he, too, has joined the wagon train, that her family is on, to the Shenandoah Valley. Jacob becomes a suttler, supplying the forts. As the French-Indian War commences, Magda, Jacob, and their family members and friends face grave danger. Can Magda and Jacob find love and begin a new life together–one that may take them further south to the James River? Or will all be lost?

Wagon Train Baby by Rhonda Gibson

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1860 – Oregon trail

They came together for an orphaned child…Will they stay together for love?

A fresh start, far from the heartache she left behind—that’s all Maggie Porter seeks at the end of the Oregon Trail. But whatever she expected, she never could have imagined finding an orphaned child! Little Lilly May needs a family, and Maggie longs to be a mother. With the help of wagon train scout Adam Walker, that dream finally comes true. As they enter a marriage of convenience to care for the child, dare Maggie hope for the bigger dream of winning Adam’s love?

Trail of Secrets by Lacy Williams

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mid 1800s – Traveling to Oregon

Stella is the oldest of three sisters and she’s got a long history of being the one to protect and provide for her family. When a dangerous threat sent the Fairfax sisters on a wagon train journey west, Stella knew her best bet was to disguise herself as a man to keep herself and her sisters safe.

Collin Mason has secrets of his own. And his family isn’t short on drama either, not with his troublemaking twin and an older brother about to get hitched. But he’s the only one who sees the real Stella—and that she needs help.

Collin sees the vulnerability Stella tries so hard to hide. When he becomes the only one she can trust and she discovers that danger has followed her family, Stella must rely on him despite her reluctance…

Cobalt Skies by Pegg Thomas

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1867 – Missouri

Samuel Hickman volunteered to fight for his country and talked his younger brother into joining him. They’d ridden for honor and glory. The realities of war, however, convinced Hick to avoid people and their entanglements.

Susannah Piper lost everyone she loved in the war, her Confederate father and brothers, and even her Yankee husband. Left with only her thick Georgia drawl and a contrary mule, her sights are set on the state of Oregon—as far from the battlefields and prejudices as she can get.

But when Susannah arrives in desperation at Hick’s camp one dark night, even he can’t turn her away. He’s heading to Wyoming, not Oregon, but it’s in the right direction, and Susannah doesn’t plan on being left behind. The resulting clash of North and South may spark another type of civil war.

A Trail so Lonesome by Lacy Williams

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mid 1800s – Oregon trail

Spending five months eating trail dust wasn’t Leo Spencer’s first choice. Or his second. He’s not one to run away, but some situations can’t be fixed and his family—two brothers and a sister—needs to start over. Which is how he finds himself on a westbound wagon train.

Evangeline has a secret, one that has sent her on a journey across the plains on the Oregon Trail. When her father is badly hurt and she needs help, Leo is there. A deal is struck and the two unlikely friends form an alliance… that leads to more.

But Evangeline’s secret looms over her… and Leo’s family troubles are far from over.

The Wrangler’s Wedding Pact by Kate Barker

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1895 – Traveling/California

He needs a wife—temporarily. But will love find them on their journey?

For Charlotte Carpenter, a job out West as a child’s caretaker represents freedom and independence. But when she arrives, circumstances dictate that she must marry the child’s father for propriety’s sake. Charlotte has always seen marriage as a trap, an opinion that’s shared by her groom, Paul Harrison. He assures her their match is temporary—to sell his herd of horses, with an annulment at the journey’s end. But as they travel on the trail together, will their temporary marriage turn into lasting love?

Wagon Train Wedding by Rhonda Gibson

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1867 – Oregon Trail

The wagon train is her chance for a new life…but only if her secrets will keep.

Widowed Mrs. Cora Edwards sees Oregon as a fresh start for her and her son…but there are a few problems. She’s not a widow…and baby Noah isn’t her son. He’s the nephew she’s vowed to protect—even if she must accept a marriage of convenience before she’ll be permitted on the wagon train. Her groom, lawman Flynn Adams, carries his own secret heartache…which Cora starts to ease. On the path to a new future, will they find a way forward together?

The Seeds of Change by Lauraine Snelling

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1865 – Ohio/Traveling

Larkspur Nielsen is ready for a change. Her parents have passed on, and her older brother is successfully running the family business. She bristles at the small-mindedness that permeates life in her small Ohio community, and she sees little chance of a satisfying future there. She has a little money saved, and after turning the tables on a crooked gambler who had fleeced several locals, including her younger brother, she can stake a new start for herself and her three sisters.

As the gambler’s threats of revenge echo in her ears, she and her sisters head to Independence, Missouri, to join a wagon train bound for Oregon. Knowing that four women traveling together will draw unwanted attention, Larkspur dons a disguise, passing herself off as “Clark” Nielsen, accompanying his three sisters. But maintaining the ruse is more difficult than Larkspur imagined, as is protecting her headstrong, starry-eyed sisters from difficult circumstances and eligible young men. Will reaching their goal prove too much for them?

The Rock by Cara Grandle

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1846 – Oregon

After a whiskey still explosion destroys her home and nearly her life, Rebecca Packwood and her father must leave Missouri and her dear friends behind. After crossing The Oregon Trail, she sets out to discover her family’s secret history and to forge a home and community out of the raw farm land of Eagle Creek, Oregon Country, never suspecting a ruthless enemy is seeking to thwart her plans.

Hard-working banker’s son, Clark Sutherland, thought the toughest test he would face was getting out from underneath his father’s thumb. The last thing he expected was to be penniless, homeless, and smitten with a shy, dark-eyed stranger. With nothing to offer her, will he find a way to support himself and still pursue his dreams before they’re pulled apart?

When a man in shadows sets his eyes on their coveted prize, danger descends. Rebecca and Clark must act to protect the desires of their hearts before harm befalls them all. Will they learn to trust their future to the God who heals and sets the lonely in families?

Redeemed Love by Linda Ford

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1849 – California

Hope White is one of the preacher’s daughters. She’s a loving, giving person who plans to start missionary work in California.

Clay Adams was raised by a strict preacher grandfather who constantly criticized him and treated him harshly. Now all he wants is adventure and freedom. But his first venture into ‘freedom’ landed him in hot water with a bad bunch. He wants to leave behind this particular adventure and tries to flee to California. On the journey, he grows ill and lies dying on the desert floor.

Hope and her father find Clay and care for him. But there are spots on his chest to indicate he has typhoid fever so the wagon master insists they must keep their distance. While her pa drives the wagon, Hope tends the sick man. As he becomes lucid, they talk, and learn things about each other that convince them they are the worst person in the world for the other.

As they cross the mountains, more of Clay’s secrets are revealed. Hope’s trust is shattered, but when the family wagon breaks an axle, she has no choice but to rely on Clay.

Can she trust him to rescue both her and her father? Can she trust her heart and God? Will Clay prove he’s a changed man?

Reluctant Love by Linda Ford

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1849 – California

Sarah Goodine lost her husband on their journey across the Great Plains. After a herd of stampeding buffalo rampage over her wagon, she has nothing left. Nothing other than the three children depending on her. How can she get them to safety in California? This journey was meant to protect her six-year-old son, but now the little family is in dire straits.

Davis Carpenter’s wife and newborn baby died on the trail. He has his hands full dealing with his two remaining children. His dream of joining his cousin on a ranch in California seems unimportant now but he has no choice but to continue on.

There is only one thing that will help Sarah and Davis complete this journey—a marriage of convenience. They have no intention of falling in love. Can their children help them see that a real family requires love?

A Wagon Train Weekend by Stephenia McGee

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1857 – Oregon Trail

It was just one night at a Victorian B&B. Until they woke up in 1857.

Collette Donaldson never should have taken her boyfriend to her cousin’s wedding. Or introduced him to her parents. After a disastrous weekend, all she wants is to get back home and sort out the mess that had once been their relationship. A heartbreaking fight, a flat tire, and an inconvenient storm force her and Seth to stay the night at a quaint bed and breakfast. But when Collette finds an antique photograph of herself, circumstances quickly shift from weird to unimaginable.

Seth Stone was ready to propose. Now he isn’t sure if he and Collette even have a relationship. People he’d never want to be his in-laws, an irritable girlfriend, and now he has to spend the night in a creepy old Victorian inn. He should have never wondered how things could possibly get worse. When they wake up stranded on a wagon train in 1857, Seth is determined to get home. But the only way to get out of the past is to face the problems stealing their future.

Wagon Train Weekend by Stephenia McGee

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1857 – Oregon

It was just one night at a Victorian B&B. Until they woke up in 1857.

Collette Donaldson never should have taken her boyfriend to her cousin’s wedding. Or introduced him to her parents. After a disastrous weekend, all she wants is to get back home and sort out the mess that had once been their relationship. A heartbreaking fight, a flat tire, and an inconvenient storm force her and Seth to stay the night at a quaint bed and breakfast. But when Collette finds an antique photograph of herself, circumstances quickly shift from weird to unimaginable.

Seth Stone was ready to propose. Now he isn’t sure if he and Collette even have a relationship. People he’d never want to be his in-laws, an irritable girlfriend, and now he has to spend the night in a creepy old Victorian inn. He should have never wondered how things could possibly get worse. When they wake up stranded on a wagon train in 1857, Seth is determined to get home. But the only way to get out of the past is to face the problems stealing their future.

Rescued Love by Linda Ford

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1849 – California

Colleen Pringle has been falsely accused and kicked out of her wagon train. She is desperate to get to California, start her own business and be independent. And to keep her secret. Alone on the prairie except for her wee daughter, Sheela, she is rescued by Eli. She’ll accept his help on one condition: they part ways once they reach California.

Eli Oatman agrees to Colleen’s plan. After losing his home and the woman he thought loved him, he can’t risk his heart again. It can’t be that hard to keep his distance from Colleen, can it?

Over and over, Colleen finds herself depending on Eli despite her resolve to be independent. Little Sheela adores Eli and steals his heart. So much for not getting close to anyone.

When the past and the ugly accusations find her, will Colleen ever be able to live a life of freedom? Can Eli forget his reservations and take a risk on love?

Renewed Love by Linda Ford

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1849 – California/Traveling

Faith White needs to get safely to California. She’s desperate for a fresh start after being jilted by the man she’d planned to marry. There’s nothing left for her but memories and disappointments and a lost love.

For years Gideon Holder slaved away in a coal mine to save his father from going to jail. He earned his father’s freedom but lost everything else that mattered–including the woman he loved. Now Gideon plans to make up for lost time by searching for gold.

Gideon and Faith are shocked and dismayed to discover they’re both on the same wagon train to California. Gideon doesn’t want Faith to know about his father’s secret shame. Faith only wants to avoid the man who broke her heart. They vow to stay far away from each other, but that turns out to be impossible when they are assigned to travel as part of the same unit.

Can the adventures and challenges of the journey make them realize that their love is still alive?

A Heart’s Delight by Linda Ford

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1887 – Canada

Marriage of convenience? Not to this man.

Laura has been lied to before and vows to guard her heart. Especially from the likes of Cody Remington who seems not to take life seriously for one minute.

Cody was erreneously charged with murder. And the one woman he trusted—the woman he thought he loved—left him to hang. Trusting a woman is a mistake Cody doesn’t intend to repeat.

Neither Cody nor Laura can turn away from two abused and hungry children. When they are stranded overnight caring for the children, the townspeople insist they must marry.

How can Laura marry a man she can’t trust? Can Cody overcome his past to become the man Laura needs?

Heart of a Warrior by Angela K. Couch

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1859 – Oregon Trail

The Man She Fears Is Her Only Chance For Survival . . .

All Christina Astle wants is to reach Oregon before her baby is born, but the wagon train is attacked, and her husband killed, stranding her in a mountain labyrinth. Raised in the East, within civilization’s embrace, survival is not a skill she’s learned. Neither is evading the lone warrior dogging her trail.

Disgusted by the greed and cruelty of men like his white father, Towan has turned to the simpler existence of his mother’s tribal people. He is not prepared for the fiery woman who threatens to upturn his entire life … and his heart.

A Bride’s Journey to the Colorado Territory by Diana Lesire Brandmeyer

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1867 – Colorado Territory

She’s running from grief. He’s running from war memories. Can they find love on this dangerous journey west?

Cornelia’s parents send her to America hoping to heal her heart. Accompanied by her protective brother, they’ll travel by covered wagon to the Colorado Territory to search for gold. When Cornelia meets a man who seems as troubled as the friend she lost, it seems she might be given a second chance to save someone before it’s too late.

Jake, once a prisoner of the Union Army, leaves Tennessee in disgrace. He wants nothing more than to find enough gold to start a new life. The last thing he wants is to fall in love.

Can the feisty Cornelia make him leave his past behind?

As the wagon train brings them together, will they look beyond past promises and old pain and discover treasure worth more than gold?

One Hundred Valleys by Bonnie Leon

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1855 – Oregon Territory

After the death of her mother, Emmalin Hammond discovers she is not the heiress she’d always assumed she’d be. The revelation exposes her fiancé’s true intentions when he withdraws his marriage proposal, leaving Emmalin heartbroken and humiliated. When she discovers the father she believed to be dead is still alive and living in the Oregon Territory she decides it is time to meet the man who has been hidden from her all of her life.

Accompanied by her Uncle Jonathon, she sets out for the Oregon Territory in search of answers and hoping for a renewed relationship with her father. When tragedy strikes, she confronts the terrifying challenge of completing her quest alone. Faced with few options, she entrusts her life to a mountain man named Jacob Landon who agrees to transport her to a small settlement in Southern Oregon called Deer Creek, a place also known as the Land of One Hundred Valleys.

Emmalin is not prepared for the hardships of life in the Oregon wilderness. Each day presents a new challenge. Newfound friends, including the reserved Jacob Landon, who unexpectedly stirs her heart, come alongside to help her adapt. Yet she feels out of place. Should she brave the arduous journey back to Philadelphia for the life she once knew or remain and hope for something better in the Oregon wilderness?

Gift of Grace by Shanna Hatfield

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1870 – Oregon

Sometimes the best gifts are those freely given form the heart…

Ready to begin a new life far away from the sad memories of the Civil War, J.B. and Nora Nash head west on the Oregon Trail. They settle into the small community of Pendleton, Oregon, on a piece of land where they’re excited to build a future and their dreams together.

A devastating tragedy leaves them both reeling as they draw further and further apart. Nora blames J.B. for her unhappiness while he struggles through his own challenges. Only a miracle can bring them through their trials and reunite them for Christmas.

Together, will they discover the gift of grace in this sweet holiday romance brimming with hope, history, and abiding love?

Wounded Heart by Colleen Hall

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1870s – Colorado

Della Hughes longs for adventure and for freedom from the strictness and austerity of 1870s Boston society. When her uncle and guardian, General Clint Logan, uses his fortune to purchase property in Colorado and set up a horse ranch selling remounts to the western army, Della decides she must accompany him and his family to the West. Along the journey, Della encounters more adventure than she bargained for.

Rustlers, Indians, and rattlesnakes add danger to the trek. A persistent cavalry captain who believes Della would make him the perfect wife and a Cheyenne chieftain’s son who tells her she’s brought sunshine to his heart complicate her life. And the handsome army scout who ramrods their wagon train guards a secret from his past that makes him believe he’s not worthy of loving Della. She must meet the challenges of the West and convince the man of her heart that love is worth risking everything to gain.

Westward Hope by Kathleen Bailey

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1846 – Oregon Trail

Why him? Why here? Why now?

Caroline Pierce O’Leary expects to work hard to earn her passage to the Oregon Country. She doesn’t expect to find that the wagon train scout is a man with whom she shares a troubled past. Though Caroline is a Christian now, thanks to her late husband, she finds forgiving Michael to be the hardest part of her journey, harder even than the Trail.

Michael Moriarty thought he’d left his past behind in “green and hurting Ireland.” Seeing Caroline on his wagon train, brings his past to the forefront. With a price on his head, he doesn’t want her to get hurt, but he can’t deny what they were…and could still be.

Michael once betrayed Caroline in the worst possible way. Can she trust him to get her across the Oregon Trail? Can he trust himself to accept her forgiveness and God’s?

One More River to Cross by Jane Kirkpatrick

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1844 – California

Two years before the Donner Party, the Stevens-Murphy company left Missouri to be the first wagons into California through the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Mostly Irish Catholics, the party sought religious freedom and education in the mission-dominated land and enjoyed a safe journey–until October, when a heavy snowstorm forced difficult decisions. The first of many for young Mary Sullivan, newlywed Sarah Montgomery, the widow Ellen Murphy, and her pregnant sister-in-law Maolisa.

When the party separates in three directions, each risks losing those they loved and faces the prospect of learning that adversity can destroy or redefine. Two women and four men go overland around Lake Tahoe, three men stay to guard the heaviest wagons–and the rest of the party, including eight women and seventeen children, huddle in a makeshift cabin at the headwaters of the Yuba River waiting for rescue . . . or their deaths.

Boy in the Darkness by Anne Schroeder

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Past/Present – Oregon

A young indentured Chinese boy is injured and left behind by his Oregon-bound wagon train. Trapped in an underground pit, incapacitated and terrified, his pleading is mistaken for that of an evil spirit by the Indians who hear him. Gifts of food and water appear as if from nowhere. The wailing moans frighten some and intrigue others, including a young slave girl who thinks he is the wanagi spirit of her lost warrior.

His struggle to survive occupies his mind, body and spirit with surprising results. A hundred and fifty years later the echoes of his struggle remain when a Lakota Indian advisor finds signs of his passage in the limestone cave.

Wagon Train Christmas by Linda Ford

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1848 – Colorado

Sophia Lorenzo is a young widow. And she’s in hiding at Bent’s Fort with her one-year-old son. Her late husband’s parents are powerful and determined to take her son from her. To protect them both, she must hide her true identity.

Buck Williams is the wagon master for the wagon train recently arrived at the Fort. He has been a loner since his wife died on a wagon train headed for Oregon. He guards his heart against further hurt.

Buck knows Sophia, but doesn’t know why she is lying about her identity. When she reveals the trouble she is in and asks for his help, Buck finds new hope that protecting this woman and child will atone for his failure to protect his wife.

But trouble is on Sophia’s trail. Can Buck protect the woman and child he’s come to love?