The Master's Peace "As a sapling is bent, So grows the tree." This is a saga of three generations of a black southern family. The story begins during the late 1800's with two lovers, Ellen Hally and James Spencer. Their union produces two sons, Bill, who is the light of his mother's eye and Tom who by his mother's own ominous words is fated for sorrow. After the death of his wife, Tom is left to raise two daughter's Nella and Liza. He looks for help from family members and friends and finds little from either. His relationship with his brother has been tarnished by their mother's favoritism and his sister-in-law's resentment. As a result, both Tom and his children pay a high price. "The Master's Peace" is an engrossing and touching novel set in the old south. It takes the reader on a journey into the life of a man who has been condemned to a life of misfortune by both words and the times in which he lives and shows the affects this has on his two children. Anyone who has ever pondered the weight of words on a young child will want to read this book.