onward toward the culmination of our stories. Some travelers are merely passengers, drifting along with the currents of circumstance. Some travelers are faithful followers, moving toward a mission that someone has laid out for them. Some travelers are pioneers, forging a way through the uncharted wilderness for the good of their own stories and the communities who follow.

Are you sensing a change in the terrain ahead? Are you troubled by the lack of hope and wonder that once filled our world? Are you aware of a dreary darkness that seeks to cast a shadow over what is good, true, and beautiful? If so, Young Traveler, then you are a pioneer.

Pioneers travel together, and this book may serve as your guide on the path ahead.

Come, warm yourself by the light of the fire, and listen to the tellings of the True Story.

Author Melody Farrell weaves together parables, poetry, ancient wisdom, and modern tales, inviting young pioneers on the great adventure of their becoming.