Trail of Redemption

Estelle Ripley and Graham Tremaine come from different backgrounds. She grew up in a plantation. He is a wounded soldier from a horse farm. They meet on a wagon trail and eventually fall for each other.  But Estelle has a secret which she fears can ruin her chance at happiness with Graham. Graham, on the other hand, feels that he is an incomplete man because of his injury. They are able to weather this hurdle, until another person from Estelle’s past makes every effort to destroy what they have.

The author does not shy away from telling the story of how settlers and former slaves treated each other after the end of the Civil War. She writes about the prejudice of people – the proverbial ‘them’ and ‘us’, where ‘us’ is the status quo. She uses this as a backdrop for Estelle and Graham’s love story and makes it the basis for their inner conflict, something which they have to come to terms with if they want their happy ever after. And, she does it beautifully.

A story of hopes and dreams, of love and friendship, this is one novel that has the potential to stay with the reader long after the last page has been read. 

M.P. Ceja