Pearson, Jed (Fictitious character)--Fiction; Stansbury, Hannah (Fictitious character)--Fiction; United States--History--War of 1812--Fiction
It is a dangerous time for America. In the reluctant, spotty peace that follows the signing of the Constitution, British aggression continues to loom, seeking to break the will of the young American government through impossible economic sanctions and surreptitious military attacks. The icons of liberty, Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin, have passed on and their inspired dream is left to the next generations, many of whom have only ever known freedom, but are killing to defend it at the cost of their very lives.
When diplomatic pleas go unheard and peaceful solutions falter, impassioned talk of war begins to fill the governing halls. A war for honor. A war for redemption. A war to once and for all confirm American independence. The War of 1812.
But there are contentions already within the American shores that threaten to divide the people. The humility of class distinction and the horrors of slavery are ever in front of the citizens. Caught in the middle are Jonathan Pearson, the sensitive heir to a large plantation from an old, yet questionable family, and Hannah Stansbury, the striking, headstrong daughter of a nearby landowner. As strife and threats abound, and with difficulties of their own to overcome, will they be able to find solace and strength in one another?
Dark Sky at Dawn, the stirring first volume in the epic series, Free Men and Dreamers, tells of the fascinating people, events, history, and spiritual reawakening that lead to this landmark event—the compelling moment in time before the guns blazed and the cannons roared once again. [from publisher's web site]