The Ransom Chest, A Story of Secession and Civil War is a fascinating journey into both the future and past. Meet Henry Ransom, English juvenile immigrant, who finally fulfills a life dream only to have it shattered by the American Civil War. In the first of a series, the author explores the future and finds it strikingly linked to the past in a unique style designed to look in the mirror as Americans and ask the question if we really want to divide once again. The characters are everyday folks, flawed and adorable, living life and trying to make ends meet. They find themselves having to reach deep within to find the courage and strength to carry on after the tragedy and hardship of the time. Exploring who we are from the perspective of where we might be heading and from whence we came, the reader has the opportunity to ponder many facets of life including the responsibilities and perils of living in freedom. In a world divided into rigid ideological and political camps, we create intolerable situations that result in our transgressions against one another. Perhaps a controversial and yet consequential work, the Ransom Chest tells the story of people caught up in the American Civil War and their experiences of the aftermath, while richly describing the life of a nineteenth century carpenter and a family of farmers whose lives become intertwined in circumstance. One can taste and feel the experiences of life in that era and the rite of passage of people learning about life, love and the skills of their trade. Concurrently, one has the opportunity to experience life in the same manner in the 2060's of the future in the same part of the country, including the rite of passage and the distinct classes that have emerged in the newer society. People have grown restless and a powerful oppressive government has taken hold, causing their lives to be forever changed by the interruption of the clouds of another civil war. The Ransom Chest is full of surprises and twists and turns.