Set in 1856 Texas, this is a tender story about a mail-order bride who travels from Philadelphia to meet her new husband. She is fleeing the scandalous deaths of her parents and is caring for her 2-yr-old sister.
She is momentarily at a loss when she finds that her future husband has been killed. His brother takes her and the child to their ranch. Slowly she builds a life for herself and her sister.
Her efforts to find her place in this town result in changes to many who live there.
It was a good story that lapsed a little too much into religious areas but it was good enough that I would read the other two books in the Texas Dreams trilogy.