A family builds an empire amid murder, betrayal, and the Civil War, in this saga by the #1 New York Times –bestselling author of North and South . With the Civil War reaching its gory climax, the divided Kent family is pushed to the edge of complete destruction. With the advent of the transcontinental Union Pacific Railroad, the Kents continue to fight for their foothold among America’s wealthy founding families. While their private, insular war rages, young Jeremiah Kent is tempted by a calculating Southern belle into a trap of deceit, lust, and murder. There’s no turning back as the Kents’ destiny is set on an irreversible course alongside the great rebirth of America. A master of the ancient art of storytelling. -- New York Times Book Review The best historical novelist of our time. -- Patricia Cornwell John Jakes is the bestselling author of Charleston , the Kent Family Chronicles , the North and South trilogy, On Secret Service , California Gold , Homeland , and American Dreams . Descended from a soldier of the Virginia Continental Line who fought in the American Revolution, Jakes is one of today’s most distinguished authors of historical fiction.