This literary historical novel follows the U.S. Army and a Mormon Battalion-with families in tow-on an 1840s perilous trek across the daunting wilderness of the American Southwest-the longest march in U.S. infantry history. Part adventure, part coming-of-age, part military history-their story is a unique challenge of human resilience. This cast of engaging characters includes: an alcoholic eastern intellectual, a young man running to and from love, pregnant Mormon women fleeing religious persecution, and stoic Army officers, each with distinctive stories and voices, who share humor, hardship, and intrepid perseverance.