In 1825, Richard Hamilton, a Harvard philosophy student, arrives in St. Louis on business. After being robbed and beaten, he joins the crew of the Maria, a fur trader's keelboat heading to the Upper Yellowstone River. On his journey, Richard begins the adventure of a lifetime.

Meanwhile, Packrat, a Pawnee warrior, captures Heals Like a Willow, a young Shoshone medicine woman. However, slaves with spiritual connections can-and do-fight back.

As the Maria travels deeper into the wilderness, Richard and Willow cross paths. They are seekers of knowledge and spirit but separated by time and birthright. As their love begins to unfold, terrible consequences-seen and unseen-are the result.

"I am thrilled with pleasure and deep satisfaction at every page I read." ―Norman Zollinger, Golden Spur Award-winning author of Riders to Cibola and Chapultepec