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True Sisters by Sandra Dallas (2012, Hardcover)

In 1856, a great Mormon experiment in immigration took place. Hundreds of Mormon converts from Scandinavia and and Britain sailed over the ocean to America where they were expected to walk from Iowa City to Salt Lake City, UT while pushing their belongings in hand carts. In the last company of hand carts -- the Martin Company -- families pared their necessities down so that they would weigh less than 100 lbs. so that the carts could be moved. Along the way, they had to divest themselves of more and more weight in order to keep going. Among the things they left behind were blankets, shoes, and coats. As the company left very late in the summer and were expected to take months to arrive in Zion, they were warned by many to stay put or travel only so far and settle in a town to winter. The church leaders did not heed this advice. As predicted, the hand cart company met with a harsh and freezing winter along their way and had so little food, warmth, and shelter that they had no choice but to keep traveling. Way stations and help that Brigham Young had promised failed to appear, so the people of the Martin Company suffered and many men, women, and children died and were buried in mass graves along the way. In this novel based on the true story of the Martin Company, a group of women bond together to help each other and their families survive the tragic journey. Anne is a gentile woman whose husband wagered everything on the promise of salvation through the Mormon church. Jessie is traveling with her two brothers hoping to establish a farm once they reach the Promised Land. Nannie has been jilted by her fiance, who is traveling in the company with his new wife, and is helping her pregnant sister Ella along the journey. Louisa has married one of the leaders of the company and finds herself defending the self-righteousness of her new husband, even as his piety threatens the safety of her family. This novel tells the story of the most devastating tragedy of the westward expansion and the strong women who helped to keep their families and their Mormon brothers and sisters alive. Along the way, the peoples' religious fervor and faith in the Lord begins to give way to fear and anger as they wonder if they will ever reach their Zion in the Salt Lake Valley. They never give up, however, and for most, their faith and hope is what keeps them going.

Ghost Rider

When the motorcyclist Johnny Blaze finds that his father Barton Blaze has a terminal cancer, he accepts a pact with the Mephistopheles, giving his soul for the health of his beloved father. But the devil deceives him, and Barton dies in a motorcycle accident during an exhibition. Johnny leaves the carnival, his town, his friends and his girlfriend Roxanne. Years later Johnny Blaze becomes a famous motorcyclist, who risks his life in his shows, and he meets Roxanne again, now a TV reporter. However, Mephistopheles proposes Johnny to release his contract if he become the "Ghost Rider" and defeat his evil son Blackheart, who wants to possess one thousand evil souls and transform hell on earth. I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. The previews and spots on TV did not do it proper justice. The story was well writen and moved right along. There was no lagging parts or scenes.