Crucible of Faith

A pioneer family struggles against natural and man-made obstacles on a torturous adventure-filled trek in the mid-1800s. Idealism motivated the Weston family to join Joseph Smith and the Mormons in Nauvoo Illinois. Realism-mostly threats of annihilation-made them leave Nauvoo.<p>The father of the family James faces challenges beyond his expectations. The mother Amanda recognizes the good qualities of the believers but is constantly at odds with the idealism and inconsistencies in the Church as she strives desperately to protect her children.<p>Their children also face many obstacles. Jeremy the teenage son seeks companionship and consolation outside the Church by befriending a bullmastiff dog the prophet's son a gunfighter an Indian boy and a Quaker girl. Clara feels the weight of the world on her shoulders while the younger Christine takes everything in stride.<p>Get ready to revel in an accurate historical novel that portrays the struggles and escapades of these hardy and oppressed people during one of the largest migrations in American history. The journey is indeed a <i>Crucible of Faith</i>.