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This novella follows seven families fleeing from ethnic cleansing. After one mother dies in a shootout, the group buries her and realizes they need to hurry to safety. They will only be safe in the wilderness, and they feel fortunate that all the boys among them are boy scouts. John, their spiritual leader, covers their tracks along the trail, so the group cannot be followed.
After the families successfully outrun their pursuers, they set up an encampment and utilize their survival skills. The success of their encampment depends on their skills in building homes. In the harsh wilderness, the group learns how to fertilize the soil to grow wheat. The boys use their scout talents. Also, the families figure out how to govern the clan. John guides them and leads them with kindness. Whether he is hiding their tracks, helping to govern, or celebrating Christmas with the children, John finds the right words for prayers to lift spirits in every situation. They overcome challenging living tasks and thrive in a secluded place where the outside turmoil cannot penetrate. When someone who represents the enemy comes needing help, the council deliberates, and the families are instructed to be good Samaritans.
Guns are always loaded and ready in this suspenseful tale as a terrorist threat looms large. Taylor's story reveals human resilience in the face of great danger. The book's narrative touches on ideas of building trust, practicing forgiveness, and growing to accept one another. This story gives a sense of what life is like when running to Home Depot is not an option. What is more, the characters learn that someone they once assumed to be an enemy may actually turn out to be a friend.