sophie freeman

As a young Mormon girl of fifteen, Ellen Randall has little conception of the trouble she and her fellow Mormons will face when they set out with a wagon train bound for Utah. This historical novel follows real life events. The Mormon wagon train held hope and dreams for the travelers, Mormon settlers who had given up everything to make their home in Utah. Ellen Randall is orphaned at an early age and adopted by Elder Zachary and his wife, Sara. Ellen matures from child to adult as she sees and experiences the trials, tribulations, and hardships the Mormons experience as members of a persecuted religion. The journey, full of hope and promise, turns into a nightmare as the travelers face the unexpected. Weariness, and heartache confront them on the long trek to their new homeland. As the journey lengthens, Ellen begins to realize the heavy toll that the hardships have exerted. It has not been easy. The journey has been fraught with shortages of food and water, threats of attack by hostile raiders, and persecution by people unwilling to accept their religious practices and beliefs. But these early Mormons were strong, persistent people, moving towards a way of life that they firmly believe in. The settlers would not be denied their hopes and dreams as the wagon train pushed on. They were determined to build their Zion in Utah, and they succeeded.