From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours comes a sweeping novel inspired by the untold history of women pioneers who fought to protect children caught in the storm of land barons hungry for power and oil wealth. ΓÇ£A seamlessly crafted tale of tragedy,resilienceand triumph . . . Lisa Wingate once again gives poignant voice to the ΓÇÿlostΓÇÖ children of American history.ΓÇ¥ΓÇöLisa Scottolineauthor of Eternal and Loyalty Oklahoma1909. Eleven-year-old Olive Augusta Radley knows that her stepfather doesnΓÇÖt have good intentions toward the two Choctaw girls boarded in their home as wards. When the older girl disappearsOllie flees to the woodstaking six-year-old Nessa with her. Together they begin a perilous journey to the remote Winding Stair Mountainsthe notorious territory of outlawstreasure huntersand desperate men. Along the wayOllie and Nessa form an unlikely band with others like themselvesstruggling to stay one step ahead of those who seek to exploit them . . . or worse. Oklahoma1990. Law enforcement ranger Valerie Boren-Odell arrives at newly minted Horsethief Trail National Park seeking a quiet place to balance a career and single parenthood. But no sooner has Valerie reported for duty than sheΓÇÖs faced with local controversy over the parkΓÇÖs openinga teenage hiker gone missing from one of the trailsand the long-hidden burial site of three children unearthed in a cave. ValΓÇÖs quest for the truth wins an ally among the neighboring Choctaw Tribal Police but soon collides with old secrets and the tragic and deadly history of the land itself. In this emotional and enveloping novelLisa Wingate traces the story of children abandoned by the law and the battle to see justice done. Amid times of deep conflict over who owns the land and its richesOllie and Val traverse the rugged and beautiful terraineach leaving behind one life in search of another.