Soul of the Border

A story of revenge and salvation that follows a young woman, who seeks the truth behind her father's disappearance, Soul of the Border is the first novel in a trilogy set between Italy and the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the late nineteenth century.
Every year, Augusto De Boer undertakes a treacherous journey through the Italian Alps, smuggling tobacco across the border to Austria. With conditions getting harsher, he decides to take his fifteen-year-old daughter Jole along with him, teaching her how to navigate the perilous crags and valleys while avoiding hostile customs officers and nocturnal beasts.
Three years later, Jole must retrace their steps alone, as her father has not returned from the border. With only her horse for company, she makes her way across the stark mountain landscape in an epic journey of violence and corruption.