The Courage To Leave
(2026)(The first book in the Bitterroot Legacy series)
A novel by Susan Leigh Carlton
When whispers of war begin echoing across Tennessee in 1860, prosperous farmer Jason Morgan makes a decision that costs him nearly everything he has ever known.
Convinced that the nation is racing toward a long and bloody conflict, Jason refuses to sacrifice his four sons to a war he believes will consume an entire generation. Against the advice of neighbors—and the bitter protests of his seventeen-year-old son, Jeff—he sells the family farm, packs everything they own into two prairie schooners, and leads his wife and children on an epic journey to the Bitterroot Valley of Montana.
The land awaiting them is rich with promise but demands every ounce of their strength. As they rebuild a neglected ranch from the ground up, the Civil War follows them west in letters, newspapers, and divided loyalties, proving that no one can completely outrun the nation's conflict.
Still convinced his father robbed him of his destiny, Jeff leaves for Montana's booming gold fields, determined to make his own fortune. Success comes through hard work, good judgment, and perseverance, but wealth cannot replace the family he left behind—or the future he has yet to discover.
When Jeff returns home a wiser man, he meets Emily Callahan, the valley's spirited new schoolteacher. Together they begin to build something far more lasting than gold: a life rooted in faith, family, and hope.
From the rolling hills of Tennessee to the rugged beauty of the Montana frontier, Home Beyond the Mountains is an unforgettable story of courage, sacrifice, and one father's extraordinary decision to save his family—not only from war, but for generations yet to come.
Genre: Historical
Convinced that the nation is racing toward a long and bloody conflict, Jason refuses to sacrifice his four sons to a war he believes will consume an entire generation. Against the advice of neighbors—and the bitter protests of his seventeen-year-old son, Jeff—he sells the family farm, packs everything they own into two prairie schooners, and leads his wife and children on an epic journey to the Bitterroot Valley of Montana.
The land awaiting them is rich with promise but demands every ounce of their strength. As they rebuild a neglected ranch from the ground up, the Civil War follows them west in letters, newspapers, and divided loyalties, proving that no one can completely outrun the nation's conflict.
Still convinced his father robbed him of his destiny, Jeff leaves for Montana's booming gold fields, determined to make his own fortune. Success comes through hard work, good judgment, and perseverance, but wealth cannot replace the family he left behind—or the future he has yet to discover.
When Jeff returns home a wiser man, he meets Emily Callahan, the valley's spirited new schoolteacher. Together they begin to build something far more lasting than gold: a life rooted in faith, family, and hope.
From the rolling hills of Tennessee to the rugged beauty of the Montana frontier, Home Beyond the Mountains is an unforgettable story of courage, sacrifice, and one father's extraordinary decision to save his family—not only from war, but for generations yet to come.
Genre: Historical
Used availability for Susan Leigh Carlton's The Courage To Leave