NEW FIRST EDITON, SECOND PRINTING (ver.2) About The Story The historical fiction novel covers the 19th century from the early antebellum period, through the Civil War and Reconstruction periods and the aftermath. It traces the lives of two generations of fictional characters who struggled and prevailed through their tumultuous historical period. Many historical fiction novels are written as nearly pure fictional stories with just a touch of historical context. Others are written with purely non-fiction historical figures and events with just a touch of imagination as to how the real figures would have behaved during their real lives. In After Bondage and War, I tried to strike a balance between these differing approaches. While this might not totally satisfy all readers, it will have something of value for every reader. - David Claire Jennings, author Slavery was a stain on our country. It deeply falsified our founding ideals and was a longstanding shame for us in the eyes of the world. The Civil War was a horrific price to pay to abolish it. The devastation to our country and problems that followed would continue for another hundred years. With our care and concern for all the American people, we believe After Bondage and War to be a sensitive and important statement about this period of history and the people who lived through it. Not since Stephen Crane's Red Badge of Courage, has this story been told with such emotional intensity and pathos. I feel we have treated it with a broader reach, dimension and poignancy. Through its personal recounting of history and its very human characters, it is our intention that our readers will feel this way also. - Joan Austin, editor