Book excerpt: On a hot Sunday in August, the entire community of Little Blue, Nebraska, changed forever. Groups of Cheyenne, Sioux, and Arapaho Indians attacked and destroyed nearly every home and stagecoach station in Little Blue. People were murdered or taken, homes burned. Rebecca Walker made sure her little brothers were safely hidden away but had no time to hide herself. Taken captive and sold to the Sioux, she wondered if she would ever be reunited with her loving, grieving family. With the relentless invasion of the white man, the Plains Indians found themselves at war, not only with them but with each other as they all struggled to survive. The Pawnee were angry as they were attacked yet again by the Sioux, and the food they worked for was stolen. The hunters decided to take back meat that was rightfully theirs. As they stormed the Sioux village, they expected bloodshed but not the presence of a striking young white woman. Standing Bear, a young Pawnee brave, felt shocked when he looked at her, thinking at first that she was a ghost. Little did he know that his impulsive decision to take her with them would profoundly impact his life and the lives of not only his people but of hers and so many others along their journey.