same time, this book addresses several themes that are still hotly debated today, some 145 years after the official end of the Civil War. Like Cold Mountain, Freeman illuminates the times and places it describes from a fresh perspective, with stunning results. It has the potential to become a classic addition to the literature dealing with this period. Few other novels so powerfully capture the pathos and possibility of the era particularly as it reflects the ordeal of the black slaves grappling with the promise -- and the terror -- of their new status as free men and women. ========================================\\... FREE BOOKS Please make sure the price says "Kindle Price $0.00? before clicking "Buy". If it says "Prime Members $0.00? "read for free", it is NO LONGER FREE. All books are free at the time they are posted but are subject to change back to full price at any time. If you are outside of the United States, these books may not be free. When they first met sixteen years ago, Ali was convinced she had found in Ryan a man who grew up like she did: as a foster care orphan. In college on the East Coast, the couple was young and in love so Ali did not think it strange when Ryan demanded that they quickly marry and immediately transfer to a Midwestern university to begin their life as newlyweds. They are now a poster for stable, middle-class marriages. Ryan has an independent law practice; Ali is an