Runaway Romance

Can a young woman living during the California Gold Rush find deliverance from her mother’s abusive control and freedom to follow her heart?


Eighteen-year-old Abigail Marie Clothier refuses to get married. Her passionate desire to teach children in a mining community nestled in the hills of northern California during the California Gold Rush empowers her to defeat formidable circumstances. Abby’s mother threatens to disown her if she refuses to marry Senator Thomas Wyndham of Buffalo, New York. Is Abby’s faith strong enough to conquer the fear that keeps her chained in emotional bondage and take bold steps to reclaim her life and independence?


On her journey toward healing, she faces dangers inherent in traveling west by wagon train. She overcomes severe illness, Indian raids, near starvation, kidnapping, and the death of loved ones. Meeting the challenges of these hardships allows her to embrace both a satisfying career and the love of the man of her dreams.