The first book in the Change and Cherish trilogy from the CBA bestseller and WILLA Literary Award Winner, Jane Kirkpatrick. Young Emma Wagner chafes at the constraints of Bethel colony, an 1850s religious community in Missouri that is determined to remain untainted by the concerns of the world. A passionate and independent thinker, she resents the limitations placed on women, who are expected to serve in quiet submission. In a community where dissent of any form is discouraged, Emma finds it difficult to rein in her tongue--and often doesn’t even try to do so, fueling the animosity between her and the colony’s charismatic and increasingly autocratic leader, Wilhelm Keil. Eventually Emma and her husband, Christian, are sent along with eight other men to scout out a new location in the northwest where the Bethelites can prepare to await “the last days.” Christian believes they’ve found the ideal situation in Washington territory, but when Keil arrives with the rest of the community, he rejects Christian’s choice in favor of moving to Oregon. Emma pushes her husband to take this opportunity to break away from the group, but her longed-for influence brings unexpected consequences. As she seeks a refuge for her wounded faith, she learns that her passionate nature can be her greatest strength--if she can harness it effectively.

Although relatively unknown in modern day San Antonio, John H. Kampmann was an imposing force during his lifetime (1819-1885). Maggie Valentine explores the lasting legacy Kampmann had as a craftsman, builder, contractor, stonemason, construction supervisor, building designer, materials supplier, and business and civic leader for thirty-five years in San Antonio. He changed the face of the city from an adobe Spanish village to a city of stone and mortar. The book also looks at what it meant to be an architect, the business of building, and the role of immigrants. John and Caroline Bonnet Kampmann's descendants contributed much to the history of the city for generations. His client list reads like a Who's Who in 19th-century San Antonio. His work included the Menger Hotel, St. Joseph's Catholic Church, St. Mark's Episcopal Church, and the German-English School, as well as the Steves, Eagar, Halff, Groos, and Oppenheimer Houses. In addition he ran businesses from a bank to a brewery, and served as city alderman and fire captain. This study brings to light an important chapter in the formation of the urban fabric of San Antonio and its evolution into a multi-cultural community. Valentine explores the built environment as it exemplified the social, political, and economic history.

A Story of Tender Truths About a Woman’s Desperate Efforts to Shelter Her Family Determined to raise her children on her own terms, Emma suddenly finds herself alone and pregnant with her third child, struggling to keep her family secure in the remote coastal forest of the Washington Territory. With loss and disappointment as her fuel, she kindles a fire that soon threatens to consume her, making a series of poor choices that take her into dangerous relationships. As clouds of despair close in, she must decide whether to continue in her own waning strength or to humble herself and accept help from the very people she once so eagerly left behind. Based on a True Story