n the days immediately following the Civil War, Yankee soldiers called bummers straggled home, emotionally ravaged, exhausted and hungry. Forced to steal what they needed along the way from weary families themselves devastated by war, they often left a wake of cruelty and violence in their wake. ?One such bummer impulsively grabs an eighteen-year-old Tennessee girl who is home alone with her young brother while their parents are gone to replenish needed supplies after the years of deprivation and hardship. The bummer stubbornly holds her for three days as they make their way north. But Meg is not a typical kidnapping victim. Her spunk and fortitude forge an unexpected bond between the two by the time they near his home.? The soldier, coping with PTSD, is not a typical criminal, either. He gains solace from this resolute and hardy young woman who reminds him of home. Although he treats her with care, she remains a captive. When he comes to his senses and releases her, neither realizes the time spent together will forever bind them.? Filled with regret, he covertly makes sure she gets home safely, even surrept