Land of Promises

Land of PromisesOur story opens on the American frontier, where hopeful families load their wagons and ready their livestock for the perilous journey along the newly forged Oregon Trail. Dreams of a better life drive them westward, but the wilderness holds as much danger as promise. The year is 1841. Marthas husband left his family to stake a new homestead in Northwest Oregon Territory. After Jake McHenry does not return, she fears the worst, and sets out with her

Our story opens on the American frontier, where hopeful families load their wagons and ready their livestock for the perilous journey along the newly forged Oregon Trail. Dreams of a better life drive them westward, but the wilderness holds as much danger as promise.
The year is 1841. Martha’s husband left his family to stake a new homestead in Northwest Oregon Territory. After Jake McHenry does not return, she fears the worst, and sets out with her son aiming to find him. Their path from Ohio leads them to Missouri. By chance, they join Captain Matt Springer’s wagon train preparing to leave Independence from Oregon City. Will the McHenry’s reunite?

When prominent St. Charles banker Wentworth McGough agrees to join Captain Springer’s wagon company, tragedy strikes before he can depart. Masked marauders, disguised as Indians, ambush and murder McGough and his son-in-law. His six daughters, hiding in terror, narrowly escape and reach the wagon camp days later - alone, shaken, and destitute. Captain Springer informs them that no unescorted women can make the crossing without male protection or supplies. With only three days before departure, the sisters’ fate hangs in the balance. Who will come to their aid? Burdened with leading a caravan of city dwellers into the unknown, Captain Springer entrusts their rescue to a small, unlikely band: the courageous Caroline McGough, Martha McHenry and her young son, several loyal wranglers, and three rough-hewn mountain men.

The road ahead is brutal and uncertain, testing every soul who dares to cross it. Yet, like the brave pioneers who chased a dream beyond the horizon, they discover that courage, love, and faith can still flourish in the Land of Promises.

About the Author
A native of Kansas City, Missouri, J.P. Barelli earned a baccalaureate degree in government from SMU, a postgraduate degree from Thunderbird Graduate School for International Business Management, and a master’s degree in Applied Orthodox Theology from the University of Balamond, St. John’s School of Theology. He earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Missouri, Kansas City. He has served as an assistant prosecutor, senior corporate attorney, supervising public defender, and superior court Judge Pro Tempore. Beyond his professional degrees, Barelli is a commercial pilot and serves as a chaplain and an ordained Roman Catholic Deacon. He lives in Phoenix, Arizona.