In 1902, Judge Wilson Conner is a rising star is his southern West Virginia community. A brilliant legal mind, a passionate husband, and a doting father, Conner knows he owes much to his family and his God. Then Congressman Peter Long offers to support Wilson for circuit judge - if Conner can play the political games necessary. At first, Conner thinks he can keep his integrity intact, even as his ambition rises.

As Conner oversees the community's legal troubles of murder, embezzlement, and mine explosions, idealism loses to ruthlessness, integrity to women, and honor to drinking. He helps his son out of a murder charge and helps his children establish a Moonshine empire. But when tragedy threatens his family, Conner's ambitions and convictions are at a crossroads. How far will he go for his family and his honor?

Family Tragedies is both an intimate drama and sweeping historical novel of the ruthless capitalism, union organization, and the temperance movement that defined America in the early twentieth century.


About the Author

J. Howard Warren was born in 1947 in Anstead, West Virginia. He has a B.S. in zoology and chemistry from the University of North Alabama, a M.S. in animal husbandry form the University of Tennessee, and a Ph.D. in animal science and statistics from Kansas State University. Warren worked as a livestock nutritionists and marketing manager for livestock feed companies, as well as teaching at Central Missouri State University.

Warren was married to Carolyn for 47 years until her death. In 2016, he married Emily. He has four children, four step-children, thirteen grandchildren, ten step-grandchildren, one great-grandchild, and one step-great-grandchild.

Warren worked on Family Tragedies for eight years; inspired by his interest in his family history of coal mining in West Virginia. He is related to George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and Zachery Taylor.