title: The Hempen Widow
author: Quinn, Harper; Howard, Anne K.
description: The year is 1895. Mary Turner has just given birth to her first child in a roadside ditch. A local farmer, Jacob Zane, finds Mary in this vulnerable position and brings her into town. The people of Bately soon find out that Mary is a "hempen widow," meaning that her outlaw husband, Billy Turner, was hanged at the gallows. Some people are quick to judge Mary, including the hypocritical minister, Reverend Schenk, and his lusty daughter, Azalea. Others welcome Mary and provide support. When Mary leaves Bately in search of a better life on the west coast, she finds herself right back in the arms of an abusive man. Mary manages to escape her abuser's wrathful grip, only to discover that Jacob Zane wants her to return to Bately and become his wife. Will Mary overcome her fears of marriage and commitment and surrender to Jacob's love?