It is the spring of 1865, and the end of the Civil War is near. As the nation is struggling to come to peace with itself, all Vanessa Clemens can think about is her birthday. She has been dreading it for weeks, for the day she turns fourteen she must leave the orphanage that has been her home for a decade. The headmaster has made arrangements for Nessa. Either she can become a servant or marry the pastor, an older dreary man. Those are her only options. Then, on her birthday morning, Nessa hears cries flooding the sleepy Missouri President Lincoln has been assassinated. This national tragedy spurs her to flee on the first stagecoach heading West, determined not to be a servant or unloved wife. This is #1 in the series.

Nessa is still struggling to find her place in Prairie River, and things aren't getting easier. On a personal note, Nessa wants to be Ivy's friend, so she decides to tell her a secret - someone else's secret - and it swells into a devastating rumor. Professionally, Nessa is reinstated as the town's teacher only to learn that countless townspeople still blame her for the death of one of the children. Mr. Applewood warns her that people have doubts about her and she will be under harsh scrutiny. Nessa strives to earn the trust of those around her, knowing it will take time. When a prairie fire sweeps toward the schoolhouse, Nessa must find a way to protect her young students. This is #2 in the series.

It is December 1865, and Nessa feels safe and at home in Prairie River. But when on a blustery night Reverend McDuff arrives unexpectedly at the Lockett's door, Nessa's hopes of leaving her past behind are shattered. Only Ivy and Mrs. Lockett know her secret - her reason for fleeing Independence. Now she fears the town will judge her and revoke her position as schoolteacher. Furthermore, her dear friend Albert had promised to warn her if the McDuff headed west, yet no word. Nessa's sense of self is shaken. In what promises to be a long and fierce winter, Nessa must be stronger than ever. This is #3 in the series.

Nessa's winter was fraught with trials, but now spring has come to Prairie River - and so has her dear friend Albert. Albert is Nessa's oldest friend from the orphanage, and she had prayed that he would join her in Kansas ever since she journeyed to the small, remote town a year ago. But a year is a long time, and Albert's arrival is not what Nessa had imagined. Things are different between them, and Nessa must reconcile the changes if she has any hope of starting their friendship anew. This is #4 in the series.