The Measure of a Lady by Deeanne Gist

Deanne Gist is one of my absolute favorite authors these days. I just finished up 3 books by her and loved every single one! I have reviewed other books by her on the blog, so be sure to search for them (search for Gist).

Rachel Van Buren is a lady and she is determined to stay one.  When she and her siblings find themselves alone with nothing in the California territory, she sets out to protect and provide all the while determining to hold on to the rules her mother instilled before her death.  But Rachel soon learns that circumstances sometimes require letting go of the rules and that being a lady has more to do with the heart than with keeping the rules.

Johnnie Parker comes to the rescue of Rachel and her charges, fully expecting them to jump on the next boat back to the East. What he does not expect is for Rachel to challenge the lifestyle he has chosen nor to share an interest in "greening up" San Francisco.

1849 San Francisco is raw and new... a mud pit full of opportunity for those who stick it out.. and a pit ready to suck in those who are weak and scared. This is not a book that paints a rosy happy ever after picture. The reader sees San Francisco in its infancy complete with the hopes and dreams... fears and trappings.