Kinship and Courage Series by Jane Kirkpatrick

One of the incidents that made a profound impression upon the minds of all: the meeting of eleven wagons returning and not a man left in the entire train; all had died, and been buried on the way, and the women returning alone. -from the journals of Ezra Meeker, 1852. "Their lives would be tempered by adversity, expanded by faith, polished by perseverance. "... moreOne of the incidents that made a profound impression upon the minds of all: the meeting of eleven wagons returning and not a man left in the entire train; all had died, and been buried on the way, and the women returning alone. -from the journals of Ezra Meeker, 1852. "Their lives would be tempered by adversity, expanded by faith, polished by perseverance. ". For Madison "Mazy" Bacon, a young wife living in southern Wisconsin, the future appears every bit as promising as it is reassuringly predictable. A loving marriage, a well-organized home, the pleasure of planting an early spring garden--these are the carefully-tended dreams that sustain her heart and nourish her soul. But when her husband of two years sells the homestead and informs her that they are heading west, Mazy's life is ripped down the middle like a poorly mended sheet forgotten in a midwestern storm. Her love is tried, her boundaries stretched, and the fabric of her faith tested. At the same time, she and eleven extraordinary women are pulled toward an uncertain destiny--one that binds them together through reluctance and longing and into acceptance and renewal. Based on an actual 1852 Oregon Trail incident, "All Together in One Place, Book One in the Kinship and Courage series," speaks to the strength in every woman and celebrates the promise of hope that unfailingly blooms amidst tragedy and challenge. less

When blind and widowed Suzanne Cullver reaches California with a group of women who have survived tragedy on the Oregon Trail, she sets her mind on doing for herself all that must be done. Though she cannot see, she rejects offers of assistance, unwittingly risking her children's safety - and her own. Her companions blindly falter as well, held hostage by their own pasts. As Suzanne attempts to control her life in Shasta City, Ruth defends against past errors, failing to see how she limits love... moreWhen blind and widowed Suzanne Cullver reaches California with a group of women who have survived tragedy on the Oregon Trail, she sets her mind on doing for herself all that must be done. Though she cannot see, she rejects offers of assistance, unwittingly risking her children's safety - and her own. Her companions blindly falter as well, held hostage by their own pasts. As Suzanne attempts to control her life in Shasta City, Ruth defends against past errors, failing to see how she limits love. Meanwhile, Mazy's vision seems to be permanently clouded by her late husband's betrayal. But when a young stage driver risks all for a Wintu Indian, his life becomes entangled with the turnaround women - and together they are changed forever as they discover that No Eye Can See all the good God has in store for those who love Him. less

A CIRCLE OF COURAGEOUS WOMEN DISCOVERS THE MEANING OF INDEPENDENCE, FORGIVENESS, AND LOVE Ruth Martin had a dream: to become an independent woman and build a life in southern Oregon for herself and her children. But when her friend Mazy’s inaction results in a tragedy that shatters Ruth’s dream, Ruth must start anew and try to heal her tender wounds. Her friends are also moving on... moreA CIRCLE OF COURAGEOUS WOMEN DISCOVERS THE MEANING OF INDEPENDENCE, FORGIVENESS, AND LOVE Ruth Martin had a dream: to become an independent woman and build a life in southern Oregon for herself and her children. But when her friend Mazy’s inaction results in a tragedy that shatters Ruth’s dream, Ruth must start anew and try to heal her tender wounds. Her friends are also moving on. Mazy wrestles with her understanding of what faith and family really mean; Tipton discovers that marriage requires more than she’s ready to give; and Suzanne’s challenge is to keep seeing with new eyes. Together, the turn around women travel to arenas of untested promise where they’ll find a hope that sustains them and relationships they’ll cherish all their days. THE FINAL BOOK IN THE KINSHIP AND COURAGE SERIES. From the Trade Paperback edition. less