Publication Date: July 27, 2026 by @Bookouture

San Francisco, 1893: When Maggie O’Halloran steps off the train in California, she knows she must be brave for her friend Brendan and her brother Danny. Having fled both New York and Chicago, they all have broken spirits and fear having to start again. Can Maggie find courage and strength for them all?

Maggie soon finds a boarding house that will take them in. In a lively part of town, and with a colorful clientele, it is not somewhere she ever imagined staying. Until one night when they are woken by a distressing cry, Maggie finds herself assisting a doctor to save a young woman’s life.

Working through the night by candlelight, Maggie realizes this may be her true calling. When the doctor asks if she would consider training as a nurse, she says yes immediately, hopeful she might have finally found her purpose in life. Will this now give her the courage to tell Brendan how she truly feels?

But before she can risk her heart, Brendan reveals that Danny is in trouble once more. They are leaving at dawn for Alaska to mine for gold, and Maggie is both shocked and heartbroken. Should she stay, and continue the work that has given her life such meaning? Or should she sacrifice everything, and follow those she loves even further into the unknown?

My Thoughts:

When Maggie, Brendan and her brother, Danny stepped off the train in San Franciso, almost immediately I knew they were off to a bad start when they discovered Maggie and Danny’s father living at a house of ill repute. With nowhere else to go, and very little money, they were invited to stay by the owner, and before too long, Maggie found herself in an awkward situation with the owner and must find another place to live. The opportunity quickly presents itself, and she begins two years of training as a nurse. When she has two months left of her training, Brendon tells her that he and her father and Danny are leaving for Alaska. My heart absolutely sank when she heard the news! A big part of me wanted her to stay because she finally found purpose, but I knew losing her family and Brendon would have been heartbreaking for her. When they left for Alaska, this is when the story really got adventurous and I felt I was in the wilds of alongside them.  

I had the pleasure of reading the second book in this trilogy, but I mentioned in my review for that book that I had not read the first book yet, and I still haven’t! That said, this latest and final installment of Maggie’s adventures is my absolute favorite so far. I will be adding these books to my physical book stack, and my only complaint about this series is that it has ended.

Beautifully historical woven elements blended with atmospheric surroundings, and deeply complex characters that will capture your heart.

Stephanie

I obtained an ARC from the publishers through Netgalley for an honest review.