The Bend in the River

Jacob and Sarah Rawlings had a dream. Their hearts' desire was to travel across the open prairie lands and settle in the Willamette Valley in Oregon. Sarah struggled during her pregnancy but kept it to herself, not wanting Jacob to postpone their travelling west, endangering her and the baby's life. They set off in early April, leaving Independence, Missouri, in 1843, headed for their new home in the valley. The trip is wrought with death along the trail joined with the struggles of those individuals on the train fleeing failures of the past, seeking a new life in a new place. The trip is filled with a mixture of tragedy and blessing. Jacob and Sarah nearly lose their lives with God sending help from a most unexpected source. We learn again of God's love toward us and of His amazing grace that brings us through the most difficult times. As the storms rage across the open prairie and the difficulties along the trail threaten to destroy those seeking a new land, the wagon master must use every ounce of his strength and skill to deliver those that have entrusted their lives unto him. This is indeed a story of those with dreams and others whose dreams are shattered, leaving sorrow and defeat in its wake. The reader will be carried along with the travelers in the wagon train and become involved in a most amazing journey experiencing what many of the early settlers passed through on their way to a new life in a wild and beautiful new land.