A Quaker is a sweeping work of historical fiction inspired by the real lives of Thomas and Sarah Hinshaw, a Quaker family whose journey carried them from the forests of Indiana to the windswept plains of Kansas during one of the most turbulent periods in American history. Rooted in faith, perseverance, and family, the novel follows the Hinshaws through decades of hardship and change — frontier settlement, illness, loss, the growing national conflict over slavery, the Civil War, westward migration, and the quiet struggles that unfolded within their own home as children grew and traditions were challenged. As Quakers, Thomas and Sarah strive to live lives guided by peace, integrity, and devotion, even as the world around them grows louder and more divided. Through harsh winters, uncertain harvests, hidden travelers seeking freedom, and the planting of orchards on the Kansas prairie, they build not only a homestead, but a legacy that stretches far beyond the land itself. Rich with historical detail and grounded in real family history, A Quaker is a deeply personal story about endurance, conviction, sacrifice, and the lives ordinary people built on the American frontier. Based on the author’s own ancestors, this novel honors the generations whose quiet courage helped shape both family and country. — PJ Johnston