Lenore Mckelvey Puhek

Forever Friends: the Journey of Two Families from Civil War Virginia to Montana Territory, 1860-1868 Lenore Mckelvey Puhek

It is a time when sudden death, extreme weather, and no neighbors for miles are part of everyday existence. With a gritty determination to succeed, pioneer women somehow survive while going about life in a cabin in the middle of nowhere. But eighteen-year-old Amelia Robert's world is shattered when her one and only love, Jeremiah Hicks, marches off to fight in the Civil War-without her blessing. Left with nothing but the inscribed locket given to her by Jeremiah during his marriage proposal, Amelia attempts to go on with her life, eventually believing her fiancé is dead. Meanwhile, Jeremiah deserts the army and travels into the Montana Territory. As Amelia becomes a physician and marries, she is once again devastated when her husband is killed. Filled with grief and pregnant as well, Amelia journeys to Helena, Montana, where she begins a new life. But she has no idea that she will soon find herself staring into the face of a man she thought had vanished forever. In this poignant tale set in the western frontier, Jeremiah and Amelia must choose between their commitments and the true love they once shared and leave everything to chance-including whether they will remain Forever Friends.