Before the Roses Wither

When Diana marries Clay, it is the event of the year in Garden City. She is marrying a prosperous landowner. She considered Evan, but the only advantage the fervent evangelist had was his golden handsomeness. No, she made the right choice; Clay will continue the rich lifestyle to which she is accustomed. He knows the elegant Diana is not the ideal farmwife, but Clay wants her anyway. When drought and manmade disasters destroy the farmland, reality sets in and Diana decides to save herself, leaving Clay to fight against the church and state to keep control of the land.

While the heartland is dying, Evan struggles with his spirituality. He becomes a problem for the church, and Clay offers him asylum, complicating his own situation. The two men are in the midst of battles, Clay in the visible world, and Evan against unseen principalities. Diana's sister, Jan, believes in Evan's crusade. She wants to build up his following, organize the campaign, yet not understanding Evan's true goal.

As they each work toward what they perceive as right, circumstances, and world events may in the end determine their fate.