Ingrid Chastain is on an excruciating quest to get vaccines to remote areas of the vast Montana Territories where people are suffering a major outbreak of smallpox. Being the only survivor from a wagon crash she still tries to get the vaccines delivered. Only trouble is she has broken the femur bone in addition to a couple of ribs, so she can’t really move.

For five years Dr Micah Bradley has lived in the outback trying to deal with grief after the loss of his wife and daughter to smallpox. He blames himself that he was unable to use his skills to save them. Following their deaths he stopped doctoring and moved to the Montana outback where he kept to himself trying to deal with his loss as a husband, father and doctor.

A wounded donkey-cry alerts Micah to the wagon crash site where he finds three dead men and one wounded woman. He learns this is the life saving smallpox vaccines’ transport Ingrid’s father has promised to deliver to outback town Settler’s Fort. Now Ingrid is the sole survivor of the accident and she is determined to deliver the vaccines come hell or high water, but her leg and ribs have to heal first. In spite of the lack of confidence in himself and his doctoring skills, Micah takes care of Ingrid the best way possible without any medical supplies available. He is adamant to save her even though he was not able to save his family.

The relationship between Ingrid and Micah develops in spite of all the hardships they go through trying to move ahead in the snowy and bad weather, while at the same time caring for Ingrid’s injuries. Reading this story I sometimes got frustrated and thought “is anything ever going to work out for them”. Difficult and dangerous events just seemed to be piling up one after the other. But, as in real life, going through difficult situations may lead to stronger relationships. Ingrid is a strong woman with a strong faith and that seems to rub off on Micah. She trusts that God will help them survive the journey and get the vaccines delivered safely to help people of Settler’s Fort. Micah worries a lot about Ingrid’s health but sees how steadfast she is in her faith. She becomes a role model of sorts for him as his faith grows stronger. Together they stay strong and maintain their courage. The romantic relationship between them seems to grow slowly but surely in moments when the danger and drama quiets down a bit. It takes on a backdrop position which I found added to the story instead of being a disturbing element of the plot. I think it would have felt unrealistic for romance to have taken center stage in with all the danger and drama going on.
I really enjoyed the thorough research into how medical treatment might have worked out in rural areas in the 1860s. The story includes quite detailed descriptions of Dr Bradley’s considerations and careful ministrations as he treats Ingrid’s injuries. How he goes about moving her, treating her pain and avoiding infection without any kind of supplies, crutches or a wheel chair. I find this really interesting from a 2020 perspective.
An element which lightens the mood of the story is descriptions of the Chinook warm winds. As I live on another Continent I didn’t know about this weather phenomenon. It seemed to thaw some of the snow and generally make conditions easier when they tried to move as quickly as they could through the wintery mountain wilderness.
The outdoors descriptions I found very enjoyable and relatable as I have grown up close to nature in harsh winters of Northern Norway. Even though most outdoor activities from my childhood were during summer, I feel the descriptions of the cold, winter conditions stir up memories of playing in the snow.
This is my first book by Misty M. Beller, but probably not the last. I think she managed to balance the faith element and romance with the danger and drama in a way that overall worked out quite well. Fans of Ms Beller will enjoy this work. It is also recommended for readers who like historical romance fiction.
My rating: 4 stars / 5
(All opinions are my own).