Emmaline: A Novel

“OUR VERDICT: GET IT” – Kirkus ReviewsShe crosses an ocean for a brighter future. What she finds instead is a man who intends to own that future.Liverpool, 1856. Fourteen-year-old Emmaline Kendall has known nothing but poverty and sorrow until missionaries from a fledgling American religion arrive, promising blessings and abundance across the sea. Desperate for a better life, her family joins a company of Mormon emigrants on a trek to the Utah territory.The pioneer journey across the western frontier is brutal. Hunger, disease, and the ravages of nature claim hundreds of lives. Emmaline survives. But that survival comes at a cost.When she finally reaches the Mormon settlement in the Rocky Mountains, Emmaline learns the dark truth: She has been promised as a polygamous wife to a powerful man twice her age. Alone and trapped in a world that demands her obedience, Emmaline must decide whether to surrender to a life of silence and subjugation—or risk everything to survive on her own terms.Inspired by true events, Emmaline is a sweeping saga of courage, strength, and a young woman fighting to find her voice in a system built to silence her.At times tragic and at times deeply heartfelt, Emmaline is a triumph of the female spirit. It is a story set in 19th century frontier America that will appeal to readers who love female-centered fiction from any era.“An emotional historical narrative with a unique perspective on Mormon history … the writing is excellent … This engaging novel will appeal to fans of Jon Krakauer’s Under the Banner of Heaven (2003).” – Kirkus Reviews Read more