In the dead-end Canadian town of Bleak Landing, twelve-year-old Irish immigrant Bridget O’Sullivan lives in a ramshackle house and dreams of another life, even as the Great Depression rages. Routinely beaten by her father and bullied by schoolmate Victor Harrison, the waifish yet fiery redhead vows to run away and never return. Just a few short years later, run she does—fleeing the unspeakable repercussions of her father’s gambling. In Winnipeg, Bridget lands a job at a garment factory, the first step on her journey to shed her past and begin anew.

When her father dies, Bridget—now a striking and accomplished woman—returns home to claim her inheritance. But she has no identification to prove her stake, and no one in town recognizes her—except Victor, who has become a pastor and a candidate for town mayor. Though war has wounded him, his secret affection for Bridget remains, and now he’s the only one who can help her prove her integrity. But can he also prove he’s a changed man worthy of her forgiveness?

As Victor preaches of freedom in faith, will his words spark Bridget’s once-hopeless heart and lead her to the life she’s been seeking?

Terrie Todd is an award-winning author who has published eight stories with Chicken Soup for the Soul and two stage plays with Eldridge Plays and Musicals, and she has written a weekly Faith and Humor column for six years. Terrie’s first novel, The Silver Suitcase, and her second novel, Maggie’s War, were both published by Waterfall Press.

Terrie works part-time as an administrative assistant at city hall. She lives with her husband, Jon, on the Canadian prairies, where they raised three children and now enjoy the shenanigans of four grandsons. You can catch up with her latest escapades at www.terrietodd.blogspot.com and www.facebook.com/terrie.todd.31.