Clay is still barely more than a boy when he leaves everything behind and heads into the rugged wilderness of Northern California, determined to build a new life alone.
He expects empty country, yet seven-year-old Tucker has followed him in secret, and Clay cannot bring himself to send the child back.
Falling in with a wagon train of settlers offers shelter among strangers, but also suspicion, jealousy, and secrets.
Clay finds himself drawn to Sarah, an independent woman determined to escape the life she left behind.
The farther they travel, the more he understands that survival now means protecting the people who have given him something worth fighting for.
