Marcus and Narcissa Whitman's lives were full of idealism, adventure, and hard work. They were wonderfully suited to each other. Marcus was a doctor who had always wanted to be a minister. Narcissa was a teacher who longed to serve as a missionary.

After Marcus and Narcissa were married, they went together, hoping to bring Christianity and civilization to the Indians in Oregon. After a grueling trip through untraveled wilderness and across the Rocky Mountains, they met bitter disappointments. They lived in a rugged, lonely, hard existence. The Indians were slow to change their ways, and they only wanted religion to use as a force against their enemies.

But the Whitmans found their lives richly rewarding, for they helped many settlers get a start in the new land.

Mrs. Place lives in Oregon herself and is the author of several children's books about the West.

From the dust jacket