This is one of those rare books you cannot put down until you’ve finished it. The characters are based upon known facts of the author’s ancestors, and she has transformed them into a ripping tale of trust, lies, and deceit. Mary Case was a colonial woman of Connecticut, seduced into trusting a man who almost became the death of her, literally. Her daughter, Kezia, was the product of that tangled web, and Mary ultimately faced the task of telling Kezia the truth about her life and her father. The characters are rich and compelling. Their adventure is fascinating. ( )

Mary Case is the daughter of the town's Puritan minister in Hereford, Connecticut in 1693. When prisoners are brought in, it is Mary's job to take care of their wounds and feed them. When Daniel Eames is brought in for thievery, Mary finds herself taken with him after several visits and when Mary learns of Daniel's fate, she quickly decides to help him escape. When the escape plan goes awry, Daniel convinces Mary to leave with him. Not wanting to leave her ill sister, Lizzy, but also not wanting to marry the manipulative assistant preacher Noah, Mary reluctantly escapes with Daniel and begins an adventure and builds their relationship trying to evade the men looking for them. Years later, Mary's daughter Kezia finds the letters that Mary wrote about her time with Daniel and learns the true story of her father and her parentage.

Continuing the story of her family's history, Peni Jo Renner now turns to Daniel Eames. Equipped with only one note from his and Mary's trial, a beautiful and intriguing story has been woven. At first, I was a little unsure of Mary's actions that lead her to leave with Daniel. She seemed very naive to be taken with this prisoner so quickly that she would trust him so fully and leave with him. However, looking at Mary's Puritan background, upbringing and actual history, this is a little more believable. I enjoyed reading about Mary's time on the run with Daniel and his faithful dog Riff, especially her encounters and time within the Algonquin Indian camp. It was interesting to see her perspective of the 'savages' change as she spent time with them. Mary's character grew for me as the duo was recaptured and returned to Hereford, at this point she was a much stronger person and able to stand up for what she wanted. I was glad to see the reappearance of Rebecca Eames toward the end of the story and the bond that she was able to create with Mary.

This book was provided for free in return for an honest review. ( )