Follow three women from three eras in the Pacific Northwest as they discover a place where miracles really happen—based on true stories. 1901:  Plagued by loneliness on the Big Muddy Ranch, a sheepherder’s wife awaits the outcome of her husband’s trial for murder. He is sentenced to life in prison—and she to life without him. But a startling event could redeem their pasts and transform their future. 1984:  Against a backdrop of attempted murder, federal indictments, and the first case of bio-terrorism in the U.S., one woman seeks to rescue her granddaughter from within the elaborate compound of a cult that has claimed the land. 1997:  On the much-reviled, abandoned cult site, one woman’s skepticism turns to hope when she finds that what was meant to destroy can be used to rebuild—and in the process realizes a long-held dream. For three women seekers united across time, a remote and rugged stretch of land in the Pacific Northwest proves to be a place where miracles really happen—and the gifts of faith, hope, and charity are as tangible as rocks, rivers, and earth. Kirkpatrick strings together three linked novellas, titled "Faith," "Hope," and "Charity" and set on a ranch in Oregon called the Big Muddy. "Faith" is a pioneer tale a little reminiscent of Dorothy S. Johnson's "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance," about the wife of a man falsely convicted of murder. Ominously enough, "Hope" is set in 1984, and features the goings-on of a New Age cult, which include an act of bioterrorism. "Charity" is a contemporary tale of rebirth, as several starry-eyed youth workers, and one cynic, descend on the old ranch, intent on turning it into a youth camp. Kirkpatrick's several trilogies of nineteenth-century Oregon remain popular, and while Sheltered Promise isn't her best work, her many readers will want it. John Mort Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved Congratulations to Jane Kirkpatrick for her 2006 Phoenix Desert Rose Golden Quill Finalists Award for A Land of Sheltered Promise! “ A Land of Sheltered Promise is historical Christian fiction at its best. The reader comes away with a clear vision of the land, of the people who occupied the land, and of a Supreme Being who ties it all together.” --The Historical Novels Review "A story of inspiration and courage as only Kirkpatrick can write." --Roundup Magazine, Western Writers of America “Classic Kirkpatrick…tightly written, honestly conceived and executed, deeply moving and exciting.” --The Statesman Journal, Salem, Oregon "What does this Jewish reviewer derive from this and Kirkpatrick's previous novels? In people of all faiths or no apparent faith, growth begins with a desperate step in a new direction." --Harriet Rochlin, author of Pioneer Jews: A New Life in the Far West Out of the Wilderness... Three Women. Three Eras. Three Miracles. 1901 Plagued by loneliness on the Big Muddy Ranch, a sheepherder's wife awaits the outcome of her husband's trial for murder. He is sentenced to life in prison-and she to life without him. But a startling event could redeem their pasts and transform their future. 1984 Against a backdrop of attempted murder, federal indictments, and the first case of bio-terrorism in the U.S., one woman seeks to rescue her granddaughter from within the elaborate compound of a cult that has claimed the land. 1997 On the much-reviled, abandoned cult site, one woman's skepticism turns to hope when she finds that what was meant to destroy can be used to rebuild-and in the process realizes a long-held dream. For three women seekers united across time, a remote and rugged stretch of land in the Pacific Northwest proves to be a place where miracles really happen-and the gifts of faith, hope, and charity are as tangible as rocks, rivers, and earth. "Based on True Stories. Jane Kirkpatrick  has authored more than twenty books, including  The Daughter’s Walk  and  Where Lilacs Still Bloom . A lively speaker, Kirkpatrick is a frequent keynote presenter for conferences, women's retreats, fund-raisers, and workshops.  Jane believes that our lives are the stories that others read first and she encourages groups to discover the power of their own stories to divinely heal and transform. She lives with her husband, Jerry, in Central Oregon. PROLOGUE 1887 Like tufts of cottonwood seeds fluffed by winds beside a stream, the tiny dots of white nibbled over the purple hyacinth hills. My hills, Eva Cora Thompson thinks. Those are my hills. She hears a distant crying, raises her eyes to her father in question. “Sheep,” her father says and points to the white tufts. “Motherless lambs you’re hearing. They make a mournful sound.” Eva leans forward, brushing her face against her father’s woolen vest. He smells of whiskey and soap. Her mother’s cool hand pats Eva’s. A large bird whistles above them, dancing with the wind, its shadow a reminder that they aren’t alone. Eva shivers in the icy April breeze de