
Transcribed for Project Gutenberg by Susan L. Farley.
GEORGE ELIOT
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In the spring of 1795, Kentucky’s untamed wilderness unfurls like a living tapestry—towering oaks, maple arches, and fragrant wildflowers framing a dusty wagon trail that winds through a world still raw and hopeful. The air is thick with the mingled scents of mint, ivy, and distant pine, while birds of forgotten species flit among the trees, their songs weaving a quiet, timeless chorus.
Into this emerald theater rides Amy Falconer, a striking young woman of aristocratic heritage whose delicate pink calico dress and bright bonnet set her apart from the frontier’s rough‑hewn inhabitants. Her poised yet playful gaze, the polished bob‑tail horse beneath her, and the bundle of home‑spun linen she carries hint at a life straddling genteel society and the rugged demands of the new world.
A seemingly minor mishap on the trail—an unexpected stumble of horse and rider—sets off a chain of events that will ripple through the lives of the settlers and the land itself, promising a tale where nature’s grandeur meets the fragile ambitions of those who dare to tread its paths.
Language
en
Duration
~6 hours (377K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
Sep 1, 2000
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1849–1925
A vivid chronicler of Kentucky life, this late-19th-century novelist became known for fiction that captured the region’s people, speech, and landscapes. His best-known work, A Kentucky Cardinal, helped make him one of his state’s early literary stars.
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