In the year of 1797 Grace Wells, an educated woman and daughter of Irish immigrants meets Alexander Monet, a soldier that has migrated from Canada. They were married in St. Louis where they met and make their home another twenty miles west up the Missouri River in St. Charles. Too late Grace discovers when Alex drinks too much he turns mean. After three years of this nightmare Grace decides to leave him, but before she can get away he promises to never drink again and she stays. He keeps his word and they are extremely happy for several years until he disappears. Grace grew up in St. Louis living in a rich family’s house. Her mother and father had migrated from Ireland. Grace’s mother was hired by a wealthy family to educate their children. As a consequence Grace came to St. Charles as a book educated young woman used to living in a world of wealth. She was ill prepared for living on the edge of the wilderness which St. Charles was. It was actually the westernmost settlement with the beginnings of civilization starting to creep in. Grace’s closest friend, Agatha, who was born in St. Charles taught her the intricacies of living in such a land. Agatha’s parents were among the first settlers in St. Charles. Their closest neighbors turned out to be a small group of Osage Indians who helped them in their struggle to make a home there. Agatha introduced Grace to Hannah, who had migrated from Scotland. After leaving home to work in the linen mills in Aberdeen she realized she was unable to cope with the noise, material dust and the drudgery of the mill so she moved on to London. There she found work as a house maid. After being assaulted by the man of the house, she finally found passage to America as an indentured servant. She worked the four years to pay back her passage, gained her freedom and headed to Philadelphia to meet her fiancé only to learn that he had been murdered. Out of money she is rescued “off the street” by Francois. They find their way to St. Charles and are co-owners of the Canard Inn. Rosa is the last to join this tight knit group of women. Rosa’s mother is full blooded Comanche. Her father is full blooded African. He was captured by the Spaniards as a slave, but instead of being sold was forced to work for them on their ships. He escaped and was taken in by the Comanche. Rosa learned Spanish from him. She too was captured and taken from her home in Mexico. Being sold in New Orleans to a plantation owner she learned English. She winds up as the property of a cruel river boat pilot. She finally escapes and travels down river for days in a canoe. Her canoe sinks and she barely makes it to shore near St. Charles. These four strong willed, intelligent and free thinking women are far ahead of their time. They create an exclusive group under the guise of a gathering to sew and affectionately call it the Sowing Circle because of all the unanswered questions that crop up when they are together. They are not afraid to ask big questions about life. They risk being accused of blasphemy. That doesn’t frighten them, but they are afraid of being called witches in a time when people are being accused of witchcraft and some even murdered.

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