In a land and a time where reputations were gained... and lost... in a matter of weeks, Martina Swan is about to discover whether she has the faith and courage to survive.

They were supposed to be living happily ever after. Instead Martina Swan, daughter of the legendary Wilson and Alena Merced, is grappling to find peace in a marriage that is falling apart. Her husband is in Virginia City, Nevada, trying his luck at mining the Comstock Lode. A promise to come home a wealthy man "in three weeks" was given over a year ago. Meanwhile, Martina has been struggling to keep the family store solvent in Sacramento. And the pressures are mounting as she gives birth to their child, the bank deviously tries to close the store, and armed outlaws decide she has possession of their stolen treasure.

Always living in the shadow of her mother's beauty and her father's valor, Martina finds her one true source of joy is her daughter. But when a stranger shows up with a message from her husband, Martina determines to go and bring her man home. It is a shocking and toughening experience. In fact, she's about to fight the most difficult battle of her life--learning to forgive and love again. It will prove to be a deep lesson about herself, the nature of love, and God's unwavering concern for her entire family.

Follow the romance and adventure of the years before the Gold Rush in Stephen Bly's continuing saga of Old California.