: Readers often praise Ellen O'Connell for her ability to create strong, capable heroines and heroes who feel like products of their time rather than modern people in costumes. Summary of the Narrative Journey

The shooting takes place less than ten feet away from , a woman who was in the process of burying her elderly husband. Hassie is left completely destitute, half-starved, and stranded with nothing but a semi-feral dog, a broken-down horse, and an illegal whiskey still.