First published 2010
Marta abandons her Swiss homeland near 1900, determined to forge her own path. Her travels across Europe lead her to California's central valley, where she builds a family while clinging to one brutal truth: only the strong survive. Her eldest daughter Hildie chooses nursing over her mother's approval, finding purpose in caring for others. When World War II reshapes the world around them, Hildie marries and starts her own family. She promises herself that her daughter will never question her love, yet life's obstacles threaten that vow. Three generations of women battle between protection and control, each trying to guide the next toward her rightful place in the world. Their love runs deep, but their methods clash across the decades.
Genres: family-life, historical-fiction, 20th-century, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, multi-generational
Setting: California, Europe, Switzerland
Period: 1900s, World War II
512 pages · Hardcover · Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.