26 parts Complete MatureTime Frame: 1865-1869, immediately following the Civil War.
Setting: The book is set across the plains and small frontier towns of Kansas, Nebraska, and Colorado Territory, as railroads are slowly expanding westward. Lawmen, outlaws, and settlers are carving out lives in a raw, often unforgiving landscape.
Plot:
The story follows Clara Bennett, a daring and independent 22-year-old woman whose family lost everything in the Civil War. Determined to make her own way, she leaves her small Missouri town and heads west with nothing but a revolver, her wits, and a horse she bought with her meager savings. Along the way, she encounters:
Eli Thompson, a charming but morally gray outlaw hiding from the law, who becomes an uneasy traveling companion.
Sheriff Jonas Calloway, a relentless lawman who is tracking Eli but develops a grudging respect for Clara's resourcefulness.
Native American tribes trying to protect their land from encroaching settlers.
Dangerous terrain, harsh winters, and opportunistic bandits.
The book's adventure comes from Clara navigating the challenges of frontier life-horseback chases, river crossings, train robberies, and tense negotiations with townsfolk and Native Americans. While it's full of daring moments, it's realistic for the 1860s: communication is slow, gunfights are deadly, survival is uncertain, and the culture of the time shapes every choice.
Tone: Gritty, adventurous, and character-driven, focusing on survival, morality, and the tension between law and lawlessness in the Wild West.