Synopsis
One family, four characters, tragedy and triumph...It is 1957, as a man and his sons cast their fishing lines into the water. Twelve years ago while living in a dark post-war world, the man never would have guessed that he would be in Florida with money in his pockets, his two sons by his side, and a wife and daughter waiting for them in a rented cottage.
After their Uncle Matthew spontaneously visits, their family
history is slowly revealed as four characters confront war and
plague as well as their own personal triumphs and tragedies. As
their environment is fueled by the great technological advances
of the era, their optimism for the future is eventually struck down
by financial disaster, leaving only a few survivors. The cultural and
economic issues of their day will be familiar: immigration, women’s
rights, economic policies, and racism. These internal conflicts would
over shadow a valuable lesson. The world does not begin or end at
the nation’s shores.
Author's Introduction
The story begins, and ends, with a brief portrait of a mid-twentieth century family. They are mobile and prosperous. They enjoy an idyllic vacation. It seems familiar to many of us.
The introduction of uncles, aunts, and other members of the previous generation to the story soon brought to mind a long, unresolved mystery. Who are these people? The few members of this generation I had known would not discuss their past. Many relatives I knew only by name. They had not survived to mid-century. I decided to resolve this issue by researching the early twentieth century, using as many original sources, statistics, and contemporary publications of the period as possible. It opened my eyes to an amazingly dynamic era, filled with narrative possibilities. It sparked my imagination. The parallels to our own, twenty-first century brought shivers to my spine. What began as a diversion now became a passion. Almost immediately, the main characters of the story sprang into life.
The “Roaring Twenties” was not a boom time for all. Life was hard. When this generation approached its later years the memories of their youth may have been too painful to recall. “The past is in the past. Let it remain there.” Unfortunately, this did not serve their descendants well. While my research may have answered some of my questions about this generation, it also raised broader, more disturbing issues. For example, why, one hundred years later, is the public discourse concerning our financial and political systems so similar to the century before? Why haven’t these issues been resolved, especially after some courses of action (or, inaction) have led to almost universal misery in the past? Are we “history blind?”
I avidly tried to avoid the temptation to intrude too many weighty thoughts, or my own conclusions, into the book for fear of damaging the story. Nevertheless, the brief, occasional explanation of events was necessary for clarity. Perhaps they offer enough insight for the interested reader to begin an original research project of their own. Initially, you will notice that most characters are identified only by their family position, rather than their names, except where absolutely necessary. I trust this will not cause too much confusion. You will learn the characters’ names as you are introduced to them, and their lives, later in the book(s). The city that is the book’s venue is never named. It could be your city if you wish.
I followed a similar convention with political leaders and other notable persons of the time, with one exception. The book’s characters are the people of importance in this story. These characters have been my constant companions for nearly eight years. The historical events they experienced are real. I have thoroughly enjoyed their company, despite their trials and flaws, and hope you will too.
Their story is revealed in two parts. The first book, Children of The Panics, deals with these survivors of war, plague, and the numerous financial “Panics.” Initially, they struggle to reassemble their lives in an effort to put these lingering tragedies behind them. At the end of Children, a single event would re-ignite their optimism. The new optimism would rekindle a misplaced desire for all things man-made. Thus, the characters become wrapped in the self-absorbed cocoon of their times.
In book two, Eden is not only promised, “It is here in this land” we are told. The nation is Fundamentally Sound. This insular pronouncement would prove a mirage. The world does not begin, and end, at the nation’s shores.