A Clearing in the Wild

by Jane Kirkpatrick Book 1 in the Change and Cherish series.

First published 2006

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3.9(1,530)

In the Bethel Colony of 1850s Missouri, Emma Wagner Giesy resents the obedience expected of women and openly challenges the growing authority of communal leader Wilhelm Keil. When her husband Christian is sent west to find a new settlement, Emma sees the journey as a chance to escape a community that has narrowed both her faith and her future.

The expedition reaches Washington Territory, but Keil rejects the site and redirects the colonists towards Oregon. Emma’s desire for independence now carries consequences for her marriage and children, forcing her to decide whether freedom means separation or the harder work of shaping community without surrendering conscience.