When meek Bess Johnson and bold Macon Hill meet at a stage-coach stop in Wyoming Territory, they are united by their common purpose. Both mail-order brides, they have come West across the states during the era of expansion, looking for love and adventure, trusting in the abundance of life to shower them with both. The road to happiness is barred when Macon is paired with stolid, one-eyed Will Curtis, and Bess’ handsome new husband, Jack, turns out to be a cruel and neglectful man. The friendship of these two women is tested sorely over 25 years of fires, snowstorms, Indian kidnappings and extramarital affairs, Beth Henley’s rich, distinctive language is both plain-spoken and poetic, and the story of Bess and Macon is epic, yet intimate, full of shocking cruelty and sudden beauty.
Abundance guide sections
