Mary Louisa Roberts won the race of a lifetime—or so she thought. In competition with desperate homesteaders, ruthless land seekers, and a sheriff determined to see her fail, Mary rides out on a horse to strike her claim in the Oklahoma Land Rush of 1893. When she finally thrusts her flag into the dirt, 160 acres becomes her own. But with that claim, she risks more than she could ever imagine. A naïve school teacher and young mother abandoned by her hard-drinking, gold-seeking husband—whom she now believes to be dead—Mary is faced with letting go of a past riddled with loss, hardship, and reminders that a woman isn't capable of surviving on her own.

From a vineyard in the south of France to the sophisticated city of Paris, Ella Moreau searches for the hope and love she lost as a young girl when her mother abandoned the family. Through a series of secret paintings, her art becomes the substitute for lost love—the metaphor of her life. But when her paintings are discovered, the intentions of those she loves are revealed."This story is about the life of a child transported to France to live at her father's winery. This is pre-WWII. Then Ella is abandoned by her mother. We follow her thru the growing up years as she blames herself for her mother leaving, for the death of her brother, and anything else where someone leaves. War comes and eventually she moves to Paris to work on her painting career. Give this book a read. You'll be glad you did." –Amazon review.Winner of the Small Publisher Book of the YearWinner of the Illumination AwardInspirational Reader's Choice Award...