The Texas Llano Estacado beckons. But only the strong survive. This is the epic tale of the lives of a man and a woman woven together by happenstance and by historical movements that continue to shape the great southwest today. From the settlement of Texas by folks like Sam Houston to the battlegrounds of the Mexican-American War, you'll feel the bonds that hold Texans to their roots. Based on an historical setting that brings vividness to the old "Manifest Destiny" doctrine, Mr. Graham has borrowed from his own family history to weave a tale that will tug at the heartstrings and swell the pride of every American who still believes in the power of the individual. The story of Jim Callan and Rain - "against all odds" - is the story of every Texan, every American who aspires to build a personal "empire" of freedom and personal direction founded on principles of sacrifice, virtue, hard work and risk. Jim Callan was a man looking for a way to put some salve on his wounded heart. To do that he decided to join the Texas Rangers and, perhaps, by fighting renegades he could fight the beast within. He didn't understand that a broken heart would not heal until someone came along who could do it for him. His wound from a Comanche lance turned out to be the best medicine for a weary Ranger.