Join Emma Sue Martin on her epic battle and discover the fierce determination and incredible spirit that make her a true American hero. Based on true events, Between the Rivers is bestselling author David Johnson’s riveting tale of one woman’s unwavering dedication to her land and her refusal to bow down to the powers that be.
Step back in time to the year 1900 and meet Emma Sue Martin, a baby born into the world without a mother. Raised on sheer grit and unshakable determination by her tough father, Emma Sue inherits the family’s sprawling five-hundred-acre farm after he passes away when she’s just seventeen.
Despite pressure from well-meaning neighbors who urge her to sell the farm or find a man to take care of her, Emma Sue remains steadfast in her love and commitment to the land that has been in her family since 1781. She’s determined to stand on her own two feet and make a life for herself in the only place she’s ever called home.
But her steadfastness is put to the ultimate test when the federal government initiates a decades-long campaign of forced removal of Emma Sue and her neighbors from the region known as Between the Rivers, nestled in the wilds of western Tennessee and Kentucky. While many of her friends and neighbors resign themselves to their fate, Emma Sue refuses to budge, arguing with authorities, “Why should I move and make my home somewhere else when I’m already home?”
As if her battle with the government wasn’t enough, Emma Sue also finds herself facing unexpected complications of the heart. Despite her initial reluctance, she falls head over heels for Sam Holden at the age of forty-one, and they finally marry when she’s fifty-two. But as we all know, love is never easy, and their journey is fraught with challenges and surprises.