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There are places where Heaven touches Earth, where love and sorrow mingle, and restoration and redemption spring forth from the most unexpected sources... Eli Valentine is the obedient son of a conservative clergyman and a strong-willed mother. Born and raised in the border state of Virginia, Eli finds his family on both sides of the conflict when the Civil War breaks out. When the war ends, it’s clear to Eli that returning to his life before the war will not give him peace, nor will it fill the silence left by a seemingly absent God. An army friend’s introduction leads Eli to join a Union Pacific survey crew assigned the task of finding the transcontinental railroad’s route through the Rocky Mountains. And so begins his journey of restoration and redemption. The landscape, the encounters with Indigenous peoples, the bizarre weather conditions and the hazardous work present huge challenges, sometimes with tragic outcomes. Friendships forged with a talented Pawnee Scout, a grizzled NCO from New York and a larger-than-life army colonel, will enable Eli to see the world through a different lens. And when the mysterious Grace Lewis enters his life, can she offer Eli the redemption he needs to find his way home?
There are places where Heaven touches Earth, where love and sorrow mingle, and restoration and redemption spring forth from the most unexpected sources... Eli Valentine is the obedient son of a conservative clergyman and a strong-willed mother. Born and raised in the border state of Virginia, Eli finds his family on both sides of the conflict when the Civil War breaks out. When the war ends, it’s clear to Eli that returning to his life before the war will not give him peace, nor will it fill the silence left by a seemingly absent God. An army friend’s introduction leads Eli to join a Union Pacific survey crew assigned the task of finding the transcontinental railroad’s route through the Rocky Mountains. And so begins his journey of restoration and redemption. The landscape, the encounters with Indigenous peoples, the bizarre weather conditions and the hazardous work present huge challenges, sometimes with tragic outcomes. Friendships forged with a talented Pawnee Scout, a grizzled NCO from New York and a larger-than-life army colonel, will enable Eli to see the world through a different lens. And when the mysterious Grace Lewis enters his life, can she offer Eli the redemption he needs to find his way home?