A collection of true stories told by the hearty Midwest families that lived through them when life was hard and living was even harder.

Katherine Bains lost everything when her parents died of consumption in England and she was shunted off to Canada to live with an aunt she never knew. Once she met and married Frank McLean, however, she thought her pain and sadness were gone forever. Then a tragic fire destroys her house and takes the life of her precious infant son. Katherine, Frank, and their two daughters must leave their home and start anew in frigid, rough lumberjack territory. Long ago, she'd abandoned any faith in a God who would allow such devastation and despair to happen. But when catastrophe and heartbreak tail the...

Hannah McLean races through the deep woods to meet her brother Seth. What is he hiding? Why doesn't he want to be seen? What bleak history is clouding his life? Then before Hannah can discover his dark deed, he's on the run again. When a stranger comes to town, Hannah rejects his intrusion and attentiveness. Is he looking for Seth? Why won't he just go away and leave her and her family alone? Meanwhile, Seth drifts through the great forest and the logging camps of northern Michigan, trying to outrun his past. His fear and desolation drive him deeper and deeper into the remote timberland,...