"When Major Gryffth Hockaday is called to the front lines of the Civil War, his new bride is left to care for her husband's 300-acre farm and infant son. A mere teenager herself, Placidia must endure the darkest days of the war on her own. By the time Major Hockaday returns two years later, she is bound for jail, accused of having borne a child in his absence and murdering it. What transpired in the two years he was away? Inspired by a true incident, this saga reveals how that generation -- and the next -- began to see their world anew." -- Back cover.