Betty Zane

The novel is based on true events from the life of Grey's great-aunt Betty Zane and the last great siege of Fort Henry (now Wheeling, West Virginia) in September 1782, during the American Revolutionary War.

British officer Girty and hundreds of Shawnee Indians besiege a small frontier fort where the brave Zane family lives. After days of attacks, the defenders run out of gunpowder. The only cache is in Colonel Ebenezer Zane's house, fifty yards outside the walls. All men are needed on the ramparts, so Betty, an eighteen-year-old girl full of fire spirit, signs up to run for the gunpowder.

Amidst a hail of bullets and arrows, Betty runs across the open space, grabs a keg of gunpowder, and returns, saving the fort. The siege ends with the Indians' defeat, and Betty becomes a legend of the frontier.

In this first novel, Grey depicts the harsh life of pioneers, family courage, and the struggle for survival on the last American frontier. Full of faithful historical details, epic battles, and a romantic portrayal of a pioneering woman who became a symbol of resistance.