There is a distinct, unforgettable sting to public humiliation, a kind of invisible violence that strips a person of their dignity in front of the very people they call neighbors. In the harsh, unyielding environments of the historical American frontier, towns were often tight-knit, relying on community survival. Yet, that very closeness could breed a toxic culture of gossip, rigid societal standards, and cruelty. If you did not fit the precise mold of what was deemed acceptable, you were cast out, either physically or emotionally. For Naomi Dawson, the mold was something she had never fit into, and the town of Rockford Crossing never let her forget it.