‘Martha dropped the curtain and pulled Emily closer. “A storm is headed our way, little one. I can feel it in my bones.”’

1942-1960: Emily lives the first eighteen years of her life on her grandfather’s farm with a burden of misfortune and hardship.

When the school board forces Grandfather’s hand, Emily is allowed to attend school. She experiences her first real friendship, the thrill and pain of an innocent young love, and a secret she bears alone.

‘Outside, daybreak lay like satin across the yard and over the prairies, almost tauntingly beautiful. Her heart ached at the realization that the morning that should have been met with such excitement was lost forever.’

Just days after her eighteenth birthday, her bag is packed and she’s ready to start a new life. When someone tries to stop her––and ends up dead––Emily escapes the horror and hops a train out west. Her big plan was ruined by an evil man, and for the sake of her sanity, she pushes back guilt of a gruesome death that has her fingerprints all over it.

She arrives in San Francisco wide-eyed and filled with hope. Planning a new life was easy, but her inexperience leaves her vulnerable to those who take advantage of her naivety.

Nightfall is just hours away when a waitress takes her to a Madam.

“Ms. Kathleen Janz-Anderson’s September Wind is an adventure of self-discovery. Beautifully written–words glide across its pages creating emotional narratives.” 5 star review