Deciding to continue on with the wagon train instead of waiting for the next year, Whip Holt leads the Oregon-bound wagon train into the wilderness. The recently-widowed Cathy Van Ayl and Whip are attracted to each other, but uncomfortable with their feelings for each other. British and Russian forces continue to conspire to stop the wagon train from succeeding, while the insufferable Woodling siblings Claiborne and Eulaila have to learn how to deal with their new circumstances.
Not to be confused with the 2013 dramedy Nebraska!.
- Artistic License – History: Whip has the wagon train start off for Oregon in late summer of 1837, forcing the train to winter at an army fort. Historically, wagon trains would depart for Oregon in the Spring, arriving in Oregon before winter came, and the first trains to Oregon did not begin until 1844
- Best Friends-in-Law: Teased. Sam got married to Claudia at the end of the last novel, Independence!, and now Sam's friend Whip and Claudia's sister Cathy will travel together, both obviously attracted to each other.
- Bounty Hunter: A slave catcher follows the wagon train all the way to their winter quarters at the army fort just to capture the runaway slave Hosea.
- Evil Brit: Henry St Clair recovered from his injuries and continues to hamper the wagon train, this time by encouraging Indian tribes to attack the train.
- Indian Maiden: the book ends with Whip having a former girlfriend and his blood brother Stalking Horse's sister deciding to join him on the journey.
- Injun Country: once the wagon train departs from Independence, the rest of their journey is marked by having to traverse land claimed by one Indian tribe or another.
- Little Stowaway: escaped slave Hosea sneaks onto the wagon train with the help of Danny and Chet.
- Quest to the West: the original wagon train members travel west to Oregon in order to have a better lives for themselves.
- Rape Portrayed as Redemption: Eulalia Woodling had a major personality change for the good after being used as a sex slave by Indians for months.
- Sex Slave: Eulalia becomes one after a huge battle the train has with Indians.
- Sixth Ranger: Lt. Colonel Lee Blake is introduced after the midpoint of the novel, joining the wagon train to help defend from British and Russian forces. Similar to the trope namer, he will become the most important male character that was in the book for the series as a whole.
- Southern Belle: Eulalia Woodling begins as a Mauvaise Belle example.
