DUNCAN, Okla., Oct. 2, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- One of the founding principles of America was the freedom to worship. The first pilgrims to land on Plymouth Rock braved the rough Atlantic to escape religious persecution. In the mid-1800s, the Mormons found themselves similarly ridiculed for their beliefs. Looking to escape persecution and live freely, they trekked across the rough terrain of the west, bound for Utah, a rugged journey retold in the new historical novel, Zion's Promise (now available through 1stBooks), by Chris Jefferies.
Using his great-great-grandfather's journal, actual events and real characters, Jefferies transports the reader back to the early 1860s. Against the cross currents of an emerging civil war, a rapidly growing westward expansion and the planned and organized colonization of the west by Brigham Young and the Latter Day Saints, Jefferies' book traces the adventures of a young family searching for opportunity, prosperity and freedom to worship in their own way.
In April 1861, William Jefferies boards the Manchester with his new bride, Mary Frances; her mother, Mary Ould; Mary's younger brother, James; and sister, Laura, to depart from England. The family is destined for American shores. Arriving in the New York harbor, they are engulfed by the bustling commotion of a vibrant city being born. Preparations for civil war interrupt their passage through immigration. Amid mustering troops, they take a train from the city, then a riverboat to venture into the western frontier of the Missouri River town of Florence, Neb. There, they join the other Mormons gathering for their 1,000-mile wagon train to the promised land of Zion, Utah territory. On the journey, the Jefferies family sees their strength, faith and conviction tested.
Extensively researched, Zion's Promise is an exciting historical adventure about one of the largest religious American pilgrimages.
Jefferies is a direct descendant of 12 ancestors who traveled the Mormon Trail from 1847 through 1862. An accomplished writer, he has published numerous articles in professional journals over the last 25 years. A retired Air Force colonel, he is a career administrator, who holds a bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University, a master's degree from the University of Pittsburgh and a doctorate from University of Oklahoma. Zion's Promise is his first novel.
ABOUT 1STBOOKS
The oldest and most successful print-on-demand and eBook publishing company of its kind, 1stBooks was founded in 1997 and has helped more than 13,000 people worldwide realize their dreams of becoming published authors. For more information, visit www.1stBooks.com.