A Distant Call: The Fateful Choices of Hattie Sheldon

The Underground Railroad and abolitionism in Utica, NY inspires young Hattie Sheldon to strain against injustice and 19th century social limitations. She sees America's westward expansion luring adventurers toward the vast west where gold has been discovered. Women begin to seize new roles in their push for more rights and better education. Hattie senses a call to greater things. Spirited and single-minded, she learns of a long-ago family tragedy during the French and Indian War which gives rise to bold ideas for the future. The first in her family to earn degrees, she is caught nevertheless between exciting possibilities and safe traditions. Her father's abolitionist zeal ignites her passion to help the downcast and others amid foreign cultures. But her mother's wounded, cautious spirit tugs her toward a secure, close-knit life close to home. When she encounters a revered linguist/pastor from the far-flung Cherokee Nation before the Civil War, she comes face to face with her ability to choose her own purpose. But her inadequately examined dreams have the power to take her and her future much farther than any of the adventurous journeys she craves. How will she resolve the conflict between her ambition and her loyalty? Which choice becomes her destiny?