In a novel set during King Philip's War in 1675, Faith suffers hardship on her arrival in New England but finds love at last. After Faith and her father land in Boston, they must walk to their destination near Springfield, Mass. The trip is fraught with difficulty, especially when their guide--laconic Sergeant Stedman--leaves them in order to help the militia. There is an Indian uprising; and after the two reach their new settlement, nearly everyone there is massacred. Faith escapes and goes on to Springfield, where she is encouraged to marry Sergeant Stedman as a matter of convenience. They marry, but Stedman leaves again before either shows overt affection. From this point on, the conflict with the Indians becomes a subplot and the love story--with constant yearnings and misunderstandings worthy of a Harlequin romance--takes over. The author says that ""neither the Indians nor the Puritans were evil people,"" but she portrays the Indians here as truly bloodthirsty, while the settlers are mostly wimpy. In the meantime, Faith's daily chores tell much about colonial life, diet and frustrations, but she herself could use a little more backbone.