Jane Myers is the anchor of my novel Chasing Freedom– a widowed tavern keeper and single mother whose life is reshaped by profound loss, resilience, and the quiet courage she inherits from her grandmother. The greatest heartbreak of her life is the loss of her children to illness, a grief that could have broken her. Instead, it becomes the source of her fierce compassion. As a tavern keeper, she offers strength, guidance, and refuge to those who pass through her doors. Loss has touched every corner of her life, yet she never stops believing that love can return in unexpected ways. Her name is historically accurate, drawn from the records of the Potomac canal, but her journey in the novel is my creation. Jane reflects the heroes we see in our country today: people who step up when something is wrong, even when the injustice doesn’t touch their own lives. Their kindness, courage, and steady leadership are the true strength of this nation, and Jane embodies that spirit.