Carrie Rose Nelson grew up in a small village in Missouri. She had big plans for her future, and talent to make her dreams come true. She was thrilled when the San Francisco Highline built a railroad through her town. She made a promise to David: she'd be on the First Train Leaving. She wouldn't let anything stand in the way of her career, even David's broken heart. Will success bring her happiness or destroy her? David Saunders' first love was God, followed closely by Carrie and his farm. The railroad destroyed his land and whisked away the woman he intended to marry. Would a just God allow that to happen? He struggles to maintain his faith as the sleepy village turns into a bustling depot town. It isn't long before strangers bring the vices of the big city with them. David, in Cliquot, and Carrie, far away in Kansas City, are caught in a tangle of corruption. Only their faith in God can help them survive. Will they find love, or has the train separated them forever?