A Clearing in the Wild

A Community Searching for Refuge, A Woman Finding Her Voice

The people of Bethel, Missouri, seek to live with simplicity and generosity, existing in world of the 1850s but remaining set apart from its distractions and vanities. Rather than finding peace in this would-be utopia, spirited young Emma Wagner chafes at the constraints of a culture that values conformity over independent thought, especially in women.

When Emma's outspoken ways and growing skepticism lead to a clash with the colony's beloved leader, she finds new opportunities to pursue her dreams of independence. But as she clears a pathway West to her truest and deepest self, she discovers something she never expected: a yearning for the warm embrace of community.