Rivers of Gold

A whole English town deems housemaid Amity Jones foolhardy when she marries by proxy and sails off to Canada in this romantic and rousing saga set in the late 19th century. When she finally reaches Samuel York's home, she has second thoughts. Though kind, her husband is gruff and taciturn, and their home is a one-room cabin. But over time, Amity leans to cherish her life with him and their son, David. When two rapists attack Amity and murder Samuel,Amity discovers that her ``husband'' was already married. She has no claim on his land, her son is a bastard, and she is pregnant by one of the rapists. She makes it through the harsh winter with the help of handsome prospector Jake Treviscoe, around whom romance hovers but never materializes. Amity opens a boardinghouse in anticipation of the nascent Klondike gold rush, but when the murderer and father of Amity's daughter appears, her secrets are exposed and her defenses crumble. Edmonds ( Turn the Dice ) uses historical details from an interesting era to spin an absorbing tale. (Dec.)