Daniel Sweetwater is a sixteen-year-old Delaware Indian living with his preacher father among the Cherokee in 1838. He and his father are forced to march with the last remnants of the Cherokee nation on a 1000-mile journey from their homes in Georgia to a reservation in the Oklahoma Territory. Cruel men and harsh weather make Daniel and the Cherokees' journey a treacherous one. Winter's approach and the daily pains of injustice hammer mercilessly atDaniel's faith in God. But God provides hope. Daniel makes friends with a wise old frontiersman and a missionary's courageous daughter. However, unexpected tragedy clouds his heart with anger and leads to an opportunityfor Daniel to take justice into his own hands. With retribution only a knife's blade away, Daniel is faced with a choice. Will he follow a dark trail of vengeance? Or will he follow the light of truth and discover a special mercy hidden within his Christian heritage?