Continuing the Tender Ties Historical Series, <i>Every Fixed Star</i> brings readers more of the dramatic, fictionalized account of Marie Dorion: the real-life woman who was the first mother to cross the Rocky Mountains and remain in the Northwest. In Book Two of the series, Marie learns the value of a tender heart, the faith of distant friends, and the act of holding life's circumstances in open hands. <br><br>Following the family tragedy, the great battle for survival, and the test of faith described in <i>A Name of Her Own</i>, Marie relocates her family to the Pacific Northwest territory's Okanogan settlement. The year is 1814 and, as is customary of her life out West, Marie faces constant challenges simply to keep her children clothed and fed. <br><br>Yet inside each challenge awaits a gift to be unwrapped. Countless times, Marie has proven herself a survivor. Incredibly, she must now endure further realizations of a woman's fears: an abrupt ending to love, distance from friends, the disappearance of one child, the consequences of another's poor choices. <br><br>Through it all, Marie is tempted to believe that she doesn't deserve God's love in the everyday places. When blessings arrive, she struggles to accept them, fearing they will be followed by more difficult challenges. But ultimately, the threads of past friendships and their prayers, a faithful love, and her own service to others all lead her to God's gift of a full and abundant life.