Patricia Cornwell has been a friend of the Grahams since childhood, and in this biography she details the life of Ruth. Ruth's childhood years were spent in the mysterious China of the 1920s and 1930s. The daughter of medical missionaries, she and her family were caught in a crucible of unspeakable hardship. Shaped by these experiences, they became inured to difficulties but buoyed up by their deep belief in God's abiding will. As the wife of the famous evangelist, Billy Graham, Ruth stood alongside him at presidential inaugurations and other important events, but always sat alone, hidden or in the crowd, at Billy's national and international rallies. It is Ruth who influenced Billy most as his trusted confidante and life companion; she has kept their home and family life intact; and she has brought spiritual guidance and comfort to people far away as well as on her doorstep.