California, 1848. She was warned not to go after him. That no woman could survive alone in gold rush California. That her missing husband was surely dead.

But Grace Randolph knows James isn’t just missing, he’s being held captive by one of the most powerful men in the territory. And her marriage —forged on the perilous Oregon trail, tested by her husband’s war service and the lawlessness of the gold fields—is worth fighting for.

As she saddles up her horse and frets over the plan a final time, she reminds herself she has shot a man before, survived the hardship of the trail, and rebuilt their life after a fire destroyed everything they had. She has never stopped loving her husband, even on those nights when he lay beside her, inches away but somehow unreachably distant.

Now she must cross mountains to rescue him—and save her marriage.

A story of courage, redemption and the unbreakable strength of a woman’s heart. Fans of The Paper Palace, Where the Crawdads Sing, and A Girl Called Samson will be captivated by this breathtaking love story.