I enjoyed this book. The story begins in Georgia, shortly after the Civil War. Domestic violence wasn’t so named in those times, but was present, especially in this story. Serena Miller spins an excellent story and I recommend her books.

As Katie Calloway makes a valiant escape from her life with her young brother, they travel under assumed names to the forests of Michigan, thinking that they will not be tracked down by Katie’s abusive husband.

Katie’s husband mistreated slaves as well as his wife. Katie was influential in the successful escape of one slave man who worked his way north to coincidentally turn up in the same logging camp where Katie is hired to be a cook.

Because logging has been a part and continuing interest in our family, I found the inclusion of this industry in the 19th century fashion along with various immigration tidbits to be a pleasant part of the story. The logging world becomes their life with Katie doing some fantastic cooking in a remote logging camp. The living quarters are rather like movies — primitive with amazing furnishings. These imaginations do nothing to damage the story or the reading experience. The premise is Christian, with a clean, flinch-free read offering no rank profanity or erotica, this book makes a very pleasant read for any time readers want to escape the every day.