With the death of her sister Vangie, Chris Beth finds herself struggling to keep the family together. The children appear to be adjusting to the loss, but not Vangie's husband Wil...his silence is hiding a depth of grief that resists comfort. When painful memories drive Wil away from those he loves, a strange foreboding overwhelms Chris Beth...as though a permanent night has fallen over their home. But evening means stars, and after that the dawn....

When Chris Beth said yes to a struggling country minister's proposal, life seemed almost too good to be true. Could it last? The settlers in their little Oregon community could scarcely afford a resident preacher's salary, and Chris Beth's teaching contract would soon end. Another separation. More adjustments. Threatening and captivating adventures reveal the heartaches and joys of real pioneer life...wagon caravans of starving people rumbling through...