After the death of her two sisters, thirteen-year-old Hattie and her family plan for a fresh start. They sell their farm in Missouri and journey along the Oregon Trail toward Oregon City. At first the adventure is exciting, but as the days, weeks, and months pass, Hattie realizes what a dangerous trip it is. As they cross the prairies, news of the fate of the Donner party reaches them, and death, disease, weather, and the terrain take a terrible toll on their traveling party. The Campbells lose neighbors and friends until they almost cannot bear to continue. Yet Hattie and her family must persevere or risk the same misfortune. Hattie's diary chronicles the hardships of such a harrowing journey, but also captures the friendships and celebrations of life that keep hope alive.

Angeline Reddy is the daughter of a famous lawyer, but she's no stranger to rule-breaking. Growing up in the wild western gold mining town of Bodie, California, in 1880, Angeline has seen it all—saloons, brawls, dance halls, and a whole lot of desperation. But nothing's more exciting than seeing her daddy, Patrick Reddy, in action in the courtroom. Yet when Angeline's father is rumored to be dead, she finds herself entangled in a dangerous mystery as she attempts to uncover the truth. In the pages of her diary, Angeline begins to piece together the clues—stumbling across more than one murder and plenty of people with secrets they’re fixing to keep. In a time and place where folks would rather settle up with a gunfight than a jury, Angeline must work quickly if she hopes to save the day.