It happened in a flash. One minute fourteen year old, Wes Allen and his younger brother, Josh were hiking the Ouachita National Forest. The next minute, they were disoriented and lost, dealing with thunderstorms, bears, losing their compass, a cell phone not working, and rain that lasted for days.But by far the most inspiring and challenging, was meeting a man called Earnest. A crazy man they thought, but still they followed him to his cave. The next morning he disappeared. Later that day as the helicopter arrived to airlift them to safety, Earnest appeared again. This time he showed himself as, his true self. The Angel Of Ouachita

It happened in a flash. One minute fourteen year old, Wes Allen and his younger brother, Josh were hiking the Ouachita National Forest. The next minute, they were disoriented and lost, dealing with thunderstorms, bears, losing their compass, a cell phone not working, and rain that lasted for days. But by far the most inspiring and challenging, was meeting a man called Earnest. A crazy man they thought, but still they followed him to his cave. The next morning he disappeared. Later that day as the helicopter arrived to airlift them to safety, Earnest appeared again. This time he showed himself as, his true self. The Angel Of Ouachita

Jeb Nubey hides a secret about his past that has left him alienated from his family and hiding from the law.

USA TODAY AND PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BESTSELLER • “Wingate’s stellar latest explores a centuries-long legacy of missing child cases. . . . Her portrayal of the region’s history, culture, and landscape enthralls. Wingate is at the top of her game.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours comes “a sweeping tale about little known history” (People): the women pioneers who fought to protect children caught in the storm of land barons hungry for power and oil wealth. 1909. Eleven-year-old Olive Augusta Radley knows that her stepfather doesn’t have good intentions toward the two Choctaw girls boarded in their home as wards. When the older girl disappears, Ollie flees to the woods, taking six-year-old Nessa with her. Together they begin a perilous journey to the remote Winding Stair Mountains, the notorious territory of outlaws, treasure hunters, and desperate men. Along the way, Ollie and Nessa form an unlikely band with others like themselves, struggling to stay one step ahead of those who seek to exploit them . . . or worse. 1990. Law enforcement ranger Valerie Boren-Odell arrives at newly minted Horsethief Trail National Park seeking a quiet place to balance a career and single parenthood. But no sooner has Valerie reported for duty than she’s faced with local controversy over the park’s opening, a teenage hiker gone missing from one of the trails, and the long-hidden burial site of three children unearthed in a cave. Val’s quest for the truth wins an ally among the neighboring Choctaw Tribal Police but soon collides with old secrets and the tragic and deadly history of the land itself. In this emotional and enveloping novel, Lisa Wingate traces the story of children abandoned by the law and the battle to see justice done. Amid times of deep conflict over who owns the land and its riches, Ollie and Val traverse the rugged and beautiful terrain, each leaving behind one life in search of another.