A Family to Love

Olivia Hennessey wants the one thing she never had—a family to love.

In 1848, the Illinois-Michigan Canal, after twelve years of construction, connected Chicago, Illinois, to the Illinois River. Chicago was about to become a bustling trade center, just in time for Olivia.

At the age of fourteen, and now in jeopardy, Olivia must secretly leave town undetected. In May of 1848, with friends’ help, she embarks on a perilous journey that begins in Chicago and leads her first to St. Louis, Missouri, and then to the rugged and treacherous West.

Along the way, she makes friends, faces dangers, endures disappointments, and matures into a woman any family could love. However, finding that family isn’t as easy as she hoped.

Will her adventures bring her one desire, or will she be better off alone?