On a hot summer day, young Elijah Marshall stops plowing to give a drink of water to two strangers and invite them to lunch with his family. His neighborly act sets in motion events that will drastically change his future. The strangers share a new religion, which the family embraces. But the neighbors want no part of Mormons. Multiple acts of unkindness and starvation drive the Marshall family to flee to the Mormon city on the banks of the Mississippi River, Nauvoo. Then the path of Elijah's life takes perilous detours, with twists and turns he never expected to make. In a 19th century coming-of-age story ranging from Pennsylvania to the Great Salt Lake Valley, Elijah plunges into harrowing adventures filled with sorrow, danger, and romance. "Once again, Marsha Ward has woven an exciting historical novel. Elijah Marshall's adventures, trials, and faith building experiences as he journeys on The Zion Trail will keep readers turning pages until the end " Loralee Evans, author of The Shores of Bountiful, and other novels. "Marsha Ward's genius rises to her highest peak in The Zion Trial, with spot-on period terminology and meticulous attention to detail. It pulled me back to that time when my fourth-great-grandfather converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and took that Zion trail, and beyond." Debra Erfert, author of Window of Time, Changes of the Heart, It Takes a Sleuth, and Relative Evil. Promised Valley, Book 1 For the early Mormon Saints, the Great Basin became their refuge in the West, beginning with the Great Salt Lake Valley. That was their land of promise. Historical novelist Marsha Ward begins her new series with the story of Elijah Marshall. Other tales featuring familiar characters, as well as new ones, will follow. Come for the adventures, and stay for the romance.