A PEN/Faulkner Award Finalist"An instant classic... a truly beautiful piece of American storytelling. " --William KittredgeA widowed homesteader is determined to make a life in the unforgiving mountains of late 19th century Oregon in this "powerful novel of struggle and loss. " (Dallas morning News)Acclaimed author Molly Gloss drew on pioneer diaries and old family stories to write this modern Western classic of a solitary woman's frontier life. In the 1890s, Lydia Sanderson leaves her old life behind and journey's to Jump-Off Creek to make her way as a homesteader. Enduring the hardships and deprivations of Oregon's high mountain country, Lydia finds both courage and community in her determination to survive. An unforgettable story--"every gritty line of the story rings true" (Seattle Times)--Gloss delivers an authentic and moving portrait of the American West.