France, 1685. Orphaned and living by her wits, teenage cutpurse Belle knows the streets of La Rochelle offer little mercy to girls like her. When she’s swept up in a mass arrest and deported to the colonies, she lands in Santo Domingo with nothing but quick hands and a sharp mind. Far from home, Belle finds a way to get by—and even dares to dream of returning to France to open a leatherworking shop of her own. But when she accidentally stows away on the wrong ship, her plans are upended once again. Instead of heading home, she finds herself bound for the wild, uncharted shores of the New World. Inspired by the expeditions of Robert La Salle, Ventured follows Belle as she navigates an unforgiving landscape where each day is a fight for survival. But amid the dangers of the Gulf Coast, she finds something she never a sense of belonging—and the stirrings of a tender, tentative love with a Native man who challenges everything she thought she wanted. As Belle forges a life in this strange new world, she must decide where her priorities—and her heart—truly lie. Because sometimes, the greatest risks lead not to ruin, but to the life you were meant to live. A sweeping tale of grit, survival, and unexpected love, Ventured is the story of a young woman who dares to remake her fate at the edge of the known world.