Despite warnings from her family and her own common sense, in the year 1905, Neva Walters, a pretty southern farm girl and traveling organ teacher, hastily married Neal Larkin, a mysterious stranger who crashed her party. Savagely beaten on her wedding night, Neva soon learned she was a captive in the male dominated Larkin family where unusual circumstances ruled escape not an option.
Effie, Neal's mother, nursed Neva back to health and became her mentor through her journey as a Larkin Woman.
Neva, despite a future of pain, depravation and near helplessness strived to liberate the women and children from the grip of the Larkin men.
Neva was truly a long time in the wilderness and her struggle leads the reader on many unexpected twists and turns to a surprising end.