An Everlasting Heart

War. Devotion. Deceit. Death. How long can a heart hold on before it breaks? Most women would carry on with their lives after being thrust into widowhood, but not Charlotte Adamsland. Upon learning that her husband, Captain Sanderson Redding, was killed in a botched escape from a Confederate prison in Illinois, she clings to his promise to return to her no matter what, and quickly heads north through a war-ravaged country with only her faith in God and her beloved horse.

How much grief can a heart bear before being tested to the ultimate limit? The war is over, Sanderson is home and life is good…until the Army comes knocking. They have charged Sanderson with murder and sentenced him to “hang by the neck until dead” - unless he can track down and bring to justice the notorious outlaw William Quantrill. With Sanderson gone, Charlotte is left to endure a complicated pregnancy and battle a rash of hydrophobia that threatens Cotton, Achilles, and the entire the countryside - Sanderson included.

Gold. Soldiers. Indians. Massacres. Can Charlotte survive life on the trail, or will the wildness of the west tear her family apart? After bidding farewell to her family, Charlotte drops everything to follow Sanderson to a promised job out west. The journey proves more difficult than any of them could have ever imagined. Wild animals, natural disasters, and a heavy Indian presence test not only Sanderson and Charlotte's strength and endurance, but their faith in each other as well.

Sanderson and Charlotte set out on the dangerous journey to California Territory along with Minerva, Jerry, and the children. Though Charlotte doesn’t want to leave Arkansas, Sanderson is looking forward to building a life for Charlotte, Cotton, and little Charlie in the vibrant new territory. But when they arrive at Fort Bidwell, Sanderson and Jerry are immediately faced with a hard decision - they must free the captive Indians they have been hired to hunt down. In a world where women are expected to be silent, Charlotte refuses to ignore injustice.