Temple Gordon is beautiful and proud, a Southern belle raised on her father's luxurious plantation. She is also a Cherokee. "The Blade" Stuart, an impulsive nearby landowner, is Cherokee as well. He and Temple share a passion for each other and a concern for their people. But, while Temple wishes to protect the Cherokee way of life, The Blade seeks to save his people from death. It's the early 1830s, and a battle rages between the Federal Government and President Jackson over the fate of Cherokee land. Temple, in the face of growing danger, wishes to stay. The Blade knows they must go. Before them is a long, tumultuous trail west. They have only their families and each other to cling to, but can their love alone see them through the pain? Previously published as The Proud and the Free, Janet Dailey's American Dreams brims full of historical tragedies and unwavering courage. Readers will be moved by its intense story of passion and hope.