The story begins with Maria, a young woman struggling to survive in medieval Russia. Through a series of tragic events, she must travel from Rostov, upstream on the Volga river across Northwestern Russia to find safety with relatives in a distant city. Along the way she is exposed to a dangerous, unforgiving world, far beyond the conservative village she had always known. Her experience becomes a personal journey in trust, adventure, love and destiny.
Readers will be taken on an exciting journey filled with folklore, Russian history, and romantic encounters. The pace is fast as Maria travels by ship trying to evade Tatar soldiers who seek to return her to Rostov. Armed only with a handful of items and the knowledge her parents gave her, she must trust her life to complete strangers while learning to survive in a world where nothing is as it seems. Her story unfolds with chaotic twists that drive her to a destiny far greater than she ever imagined.
