Emily Morgan's life is turned upside down when she loses her mother, her home, her friends in Illinois, and most of all Matthew—the man she was going to marry. Bitter and angry, she winds up in the Colorado gold fields devoid of hope. She is most angry with her father, who thinks he will find happiness with a pocketful of gold. Blaming God for her unfortunate circumstances, she turns away from any comfort others may offer, not realizing her most difficult battle is the one raging in her own mind.
The characters in Emily interact with real people who lived and worked in the time period covered in the book.
Pat Miller and her husband, Lynn, live in Erie, Colorado. Pat is a former Colorado State Representative and is still active in politics. She has one son and two grandchildren.