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With a sort of grownup and more sinister “Little House on the Prairie” vibe, this engrossing read tells the tale of the feisty Miss Flora Craige, who for reasons the reader will uncover, finds herself a homesteader in 1905 in the remote regions of the province of Alberta, Canada. Tasked with surviving the desolate landscape and terrible winters for a minimum of three years to earn title to her land, Flora is a winning combination of vulnerability, and resilience, that will likely charm all but the most cynical reader.

A close-up look at the harshness of the real-life world facing women in this time period, magnified incredibly by the lot of those who chose to settle the remote territories, this is a fascinating blend of pioneer history and a life-affirming study of communities in the making — whether they be those peopled by women thrown together by shared circumstances; or the entrenched fellowship baked into the lives of the settlers and farmers of the isolated regions.

A terrific read, this book is recommended for readers of historical fiction, particulary those interested in the early days of the evolving Canadian Pacific Railway, and the accompanying property title exploitation it unleashed; as well as those who enjoy stories of bonding and sisterhood; or readers who delight in journeys for protagonists ulitmately seeking justice. And of course, redemption.

A great big thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.