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A story that takes place in the Oklahoma Territory in the late 1800's. It was a book that kept moving and always had something happening to keep your interest. It begins with Lucinda Bishop, a young girl of 17 who loses her parents in an accident and finds herself leaving the well-to-do life in Boston and going to live with her Aunt and Uncle in Oklahoma. She must adjust to her new surroundings, learn the joys and hardships of living on a ranch in the wild open countryside, and learn what it means to love and be loved.

Jake is a ranch hand who has a lot of things from his past he is hiding. But his feelings for Lucinda and his new found faith in the Lord help him come to terms with his past and face the consequences for his wrongdoing. Can they trust their God to work things out for good? I think you all know the answer, but it is still enjoyable watching how everything works together. I look forward to reading more in this series as I liked the way this author wrote and felt a part of the life on the Oklahoma Territory. ( )

Good story. Tended to be a little "preachy" at times. ( )

This is the tale of a young lady who was raised in a wealthy, formal household in the late 1800s in Boston, MA. Her parents are killed in a horrible accident and she finds herself alone at 17. Her aunt and uncle from Oklahoma Territory take her in and Lucinda has to learn to adjust to a whole new way of life.

Life is far less structured on a cattle ranch and it takes Lucinda a little while to adjust. In her formal life she lived a life of comfort with servants to care for her. She had no idea how to cook or do chores. She also has had very little contact with young men.

On her first day in Oklahoma she meets a ranch hand named Jake and sparks fly. But Jake is harboring a secret. Lucinda slowly learns how to live on a ranch and her relationship with Jake develops; but Lucinda is deeply Christian and Jake has fallen away from the early religious training of his youth. Lucinda's Uncle Ben provides Jake with a Bible and answers his questions but Jake feels he has done something so horrible that even God won't forgive him.

As time passes and Lucinda and Jake start feeling more for each other Jake finally comes to believe that God will indeed forgive him but he must face his past.

Lucinda too, must learn to throw off her past and learn to live and love a more relaxed lifestyle and "become Lucy." Will she have Jake by her side? Her faith in God will certainly pull her through.

I did enjoy the book and found that once I started it was hard to put it down. The tales of life in the Old West seemed to to the time and the romance grew slowly. The tragedy suffered by the town in the story helped to pull everyone together and I found the ancillary characters to be fun. ( )

I liked the idea and the writing, but religion was too important to the story. ( )