The Overlanders

In 1853, it seems that everyone is going west. Twelve-year-old Frances Swanson is her father's right hand man as he moves his family into the Oregon Territory to carve a farm out of the wilderness. Laurel Hutchinson, though only ten, is the caregiver for her five-year-old sister Mary, who is simple. The friendship forged between Laurel and Frances on the Overland Trail endures and changes their lives forever. Go West! the headlines said. Two families set out from Missouri by wagon train, headed for California and the Oregon Territory. Five months on the trail gave twelve-year-old Frances Swanson and ten-year-old Laurel Hutchinson plenty of time to become friends. When their paths diverged, they feared they would never see each other again. But life is unpredictable. When a comely young carpenter named Frank Swan takes on a remodeling job for Laurel's school for girls, he brings with him an odd familiarity. Whether it is Fate or True Love, Frank and Laurel's lives will never be the same.