Wow, what an interesting read. A story of truth and fiction intertwined to create an interesting story of a pregnant teen girl, a Vietnam vet, a group of people from the Children of Light compound, a derailed train, and a young man who has a lot of issues.

Kelly Garcia is a young teen girl who is pregnant. She is not a social person, she’s never been to school, and she is pretty much kept out of the public eye by her mother who is simultaneously ashamed of her due to a birth defect and jealous of her for the attention she receives from her step-father.

The Children of the Light a group that live off the land they tend in the desert of Arizona. They are a religious cult that takes Kelly in when her mother doesn’t want her in the home any longer. They care for her and help her. They are also friends with Jason Ramm a man who lives on his own near the Rowley Mine and helps the Children of the Light with groceries. He is a man who is trained to be ruthless and deadly, but he just wants redemption and peace, a man who is fighting with his ghosts from his past but has a good heart and is kind and considerate as well as secretive and a loner.

This story has many characters that are introduced throughout the story. They all fit into the story in a way that helps bring the story to life. This story was intriguing, suspenseful, and heartwarming at times, but also heart-wrenching as well. The treatment of Kelly by her mother and the innocence of her made my heartbreak when she met new people and the way she had to steel herself for the shock on their faces or expected shock from them when they saw her. The intrigue of Jason Ramm’s story and his need to be secluded and secretive kept me interested in him and the story.

I give this story a 4.5-star review and recommend it to readers who enjoy a story of fact and fiction mixed to create a story that pulls you in and keeps you turning the pages for answers. The detail of the desert colors and sights were so well written and were easy to picture. I do wish there was more about Jason Ramm and what happened to him after he left. This was my first read by Anne Montgomery and I was not at all disappointed.