An elderly woman’s struggle to prove her stolen Native heritage coincides with a man’s fight for his young son's future and a wounded veteran’s quest to conquer a mountain, revealing a dark shared history.​

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In the 1880s, sixteen-year-old Chenoa, a gifted Tewa potter, boards one of the first trains from Espaňola to Santa Fe, desperate to save her family from a bitter winter. Her journey sets in motion a legacy shaped by survival, sacrifice, and silence.

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Generations later, her granddaughter Rose, now elderly and ailing, pleads with Jonah—a kind-hearted nursing home orderly—to help uncover the truth of her stolen Native heritage before it's lost forever. As Jonah searches for answers, he grapples with his own struggles: raising his young son and falling for Jemi, a wounded veteran who longs to return to Bluebird Mountain. As their lives intersect, long-buried truths rise to the surface, revealing the enduring scars of colonization—and the strength required to heal.

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Inspired by historical accounts, THE TRAIN TO SANTA FE imagines the impact of the railroad's arrival in northern New Mexico, tracing one family's story across generations. It's a powerful tale of cultural loss, love, and the quiet resilience of the human spirit.

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