by Louise Lenahan Wallace

- Little House on the Prairie meets Yellowstone!

• A Christian family in 1880s Wyoming Territory
  
• Cattle ranching 
• Face outlaws and a terrible winter

- Following an Indian raid in which their parents died, three-year-old Matt Jamison and his sister Catty, only a few months old, are taken in by Ben and Anne Clayton on their Arrow A cattle ranch in Wyoming Territory. The Claytons raise Matt and Catty as their own children alongside their daughter, Eve. Matt's ties to them are as strong as if he were their actual blood son. A summer of drought and plains fires threatens the very survival of the Arrow A ranch. Knowing that telling the Claytons or Eve of his love for her will betray all the moral values they have instilled in him, Matt leaves home, without telling them why, to work as a cowhand on a northern ranch, a long distance from Eve. With the future of the Arrow A in grave danger, Ben Clayton considers Matt’s leaving without an explanation the deepest betrayal of the Clayton family’s united front. The 1886-1887 "Winter of the White Catastrophe" sweeps down on them. It changes the face of cattle ranching forever, and the Claytons, along with the other ranchers, must cope with the reality of drastically diminished herds and the appalling necessity of building barbed-wire fences over the open range. An outlaw attack shakes the deepest roots of the Claytons’ once inviolable family beliefs. Matt finally returns to the ranch, where he must face the knowledge that his love for Eve and his leaving sealed the fate of those he loved most.

REVIEWS:

"Sometimes love needs a little help from fate and faith, but The Longing of the Day only serves to prove that love is just a heartbeat and a prayer away. Louise Lenahan Wallace has penned a touching tale of hardship as she takes her readers on a journey of the heart. The Longing of the Day will brand itself upon your heart and soul; don’t miss this special book."
 —Calico Trails Romance Magazine

"It’s well written with great character development. An inspiring western drama."—Old Book Barn Gazette

"This is really good work, about as ready for publication as anything we’ll ever get! I loved reading it. The people just jumped off the page at me . . . from the first page, your characters came alive . . . as with your characterization, this writing grabs the reader and won’t let go."—Pacific Northwest Writers Association Contest Review

Page Count: 276
Trim Size: 6 x 9
Publish Date: February 23, 2026
Imprint: Milford House
Genre: Historical

FICTION / Western
FICTION / Christian / Western
FICTION / Historical / 19th Century / Western