Rayben

Book excerpt: "They had stood in the chilling darkness of the cornfield and watched their home crumble to ashes. All their possessions lay in bed-sheet bundles at their feet. They stood like silent statues, yet from time to time, one of them lifted a hand to quickly and discretely brush away a tear." Clarence Rayben lost his son to the war, and now bushwhackers are coming for his home. Clarence; his wife, Anna; and teen-age daughter, Willie, walk through a snowstorm in the rugged mountains of Northwestern Arkansas, carrying a few salvaged belongings on their backs. Rayben is a strong, uneducated man who usually depends on his strength to solve his problems, but now, physical strength is not enough. Anna is small and has little strength to offer, but her faith in God gives peace and contentment to her family as they endure the tragedya "until her frail body is overtaken with sickness. It is up to Rayben to find a safe haven for his daughter and ill wife in the war-torn South before it's too late. "Rayben" is an epic tale of one family's struggle to remain apart from the war, piecing together a life in between death, loss, violence, and tragedy. Rayben's greatest wish is to grant his family happiness and peace through exacting vengeance on the man responsible for turning his home to ashes. But as his prospects start improving, can he release his mental anguish and embrace a new life? Or will his rage be responsible for turning what's left of his family to ashes?"