Colorado Parks & Wildlife Research Library

Set during the 1950s in West Virginia and Korea, this is the story of two children--Lark, on the verge of adulthood, and her brother, Termite, a child unable to walk and talk but filled with radiance--who grow up with their mother and aunt while their soldier-father fights for his life during the chaotic early months of the Korean War.

"Unflinching and plainspoken, Tessa Swan is not your typical 18th-century woman. Born and bred on the western Virginia frontier along with her five brothers, she is a force to be reckoned with. Quiet and courageous, Clay Tygart is not your typical 18th-century man. Raised by Lenape Indians, he returns a hero from the French and Indian War to the fort that bears his name, bringing with him Tessa's long-lost friend, Keturah, a redeemed Indian captive...

In historic West Virginia, love comes on a wave of desperate times that challenge the deepest of faiths. The War Between the States has separated Nancy Logan's state and fractioned the town of Wheeling, putting her brother's life in jeopardy and Quaker doctor Heath Foster in a dangerous position. Is there any choice between what is safe and what is right when it comes to war and love? Can love withstand the battles that rage within the heart?