Amazon.com (ISBN 0778325113, Mass Market Paperback)

In Dakota Born, veteran author Debbie Macomber introduces readers to the town of Buffalo Valley, North Dakota, a struggling farming community. Buffalo Valley is dying. But its citizens won't give up on the town where generations have lived, loved, raised families, worked hard, and died. When Savannah-born Lindsay Snyder decides to accept the teaching position in Buffalo Valley, she brings a breath of fresh air with her. Lindsay is trying to escape a stalled romance and learn more about her family, especially her grandmother Gina, who lived her entire life in the tiny town. Buffalo Valley has its share of characters, including Hassie Knight, the matriarch of this small community; Buffalo Bob Carr, the ex-biker who won the local watering hole in a poker game; and Gage Sinclair, the handsome farmer whose roots are deeply planted in the fertile soil of this North Dakota village. But Gage refuses to believe that Lindsay will find any reason to stay so far from the bright lights of the big city she recently called home. And Lindsay despairs that Gage will never comprehend that she has the best reason to remain--love, for him. With its many story lines, Dakota Born is more novel than romance, but Macomber's loyal enthusiasts and those new to Macomber's magic touch will be rooting for the little town that won't say die. --Alison Trinkle