Jephthah is the son of Jared. Amanda and Jared had gone west and then parted ways. With his experience in ministry, he is totally against slavery. The story begins just before the start of the Civil War. He helps the slaves and then goes to work as a reporter for the Kent family newspaper that had been started by his aunt Amanda. He works in Washington and cares for his children on the Confederate side. Gideon begins to view war as an unpleasant means of solving problems.
The Kent family saga continues with the life of Jephtha Kent and how she relates and compares to Amanda’s son Louis Kent. Jephthah is the son of Jared. Amanda and Jared had gone west and then parted ways. Their lives took different paths. Their offspring is a contrast caused by those different circumstances.
Jephthah had been a Methodist preacher and later became a newspaper reporter. With his experience in ministry, he is totally against slavery. The story begins just before the start of the Civil War. He has three children and a wife whose father is a slave owner. He opposes the slavery system and alienates his father-in-law. His wife thinks Jephthah is unreasonable. He had also inherited a fortune from his father’s gold mine in the west, but he didn’t want to touch it. This upset his wife even more.
They soon divorce over their differences and she remarries. Jephthah loses his faith and the respect of his family, including his children. He soon runs out of Virginia because of his views. He leaves the church and begins work on the Underground Railroad. You are helping slaves escape from their unjust owners. Not all slave owners were mean to their hired laborers, but there were enough abuses for everyone.
Jephthah is transforming into a different kind of person. He helps the slaves and then goes to work as a reporter for the Kent family newspaper that had been started by his aunt Amanda. He works in Washington and cares for his children on the Confederate side.
He hopes to see his children again one day and reconcile with them. His ex-wife doesn’t care if he sees them again. Jephthah is still hopeful.
Molly Emerson is Jephtha’s lover and confidant. She cares about him and is concerned about his outlook and his declining faith. She encourages him to return to his prayers and faith in God. She is disappointed when he has trouble getting back in touch with his children. She knows it bothers her a lot.
Gideon, his eldest son, has joined the confederation. Met a girl in Richmond. This girl Margaret is against the war as he sees her as all the glory. She sees what the war had done to her father while he was in the Mexican War and she doesn’t want that to happen to Gideon. After the Battle of Manassas, Margaret’s words begin to reach him. Gideon begins to view war as an unpleasant means of solving problems. It is a terrible way.
Louis Kent, meanwhile, is an unscrupulous businessman who will do whatever he can to increase his profits. Michael, whom Amanda had considered family, was taking care of Louis but didn’t like what he saw. I wanted to respect Amanda’s wishes but it wasn’t working. Louis was out of control. Michael ended up quitting. He couldn’t watch while Louis was making contracts with both sides of the war. Jephtha and the Kent family banker plan to expose him to stop what he’s doing. You can see how the different personalities develop within the Kent family during the early part of the 1860s.