Bøker av John M Cunningham

Bitter, backslidden Christian, Gideon Deshler, spirals toward destruction, his demise hastened by evil Elvira Sturgis with whom he falls in love. She and her father, president of Alabama's Spring Hill Jockey Club, brutalize their slaves. Two of Sturgis's slaves, the jockey Ned and his girlfriend Becky, must escape to Canada so they can fulfill their dreams. But how? Alabama is far away from Canada, and it also doesn't have an Underground Railroad. Meanwhile, a mystery surrounds the death of a champion Thoroughbred named Green Legs. Before he can solve it, Gideon must get delivered from Elvira's spell and reconcile with Sam Quarles, with whom he'd fought a duel. Sam's brother, Joe, feuds with Gideon's friend, Owen Washburn, over Green Legs's death. To keep his promise to his dying father, Joe vows to regain the status of his father's horse farm in a big match race against Owen's champion, Comet. Joe's hope lies in an ornery Thoroughbred, Johnny Boy. If Johnny doesn't win the Pride of Alabama Stakes, Joe vows to kill himself, for horseracing is his life and he'd have failed his father's dying wish. Yet, Green Legs's real killers and their accomplice have other plans. Will Gideon and Sam reconcile in time to save Joe and Johnny Boy? Will Ned and Becky escape to freedom, or will they continue to suffer the Sturgises' cruelties?

At the outbreak of the Civil War, over his wife Rachel's objections, Jesse takes their beloved dog Squire to war as his Alabama regiment's mascot. By 1863 they're posted at Port Hudson, Louisiana where Jesse encounters his old rival for Rachel's hand, Colonel H.L. Marsden, who'd killed Jesse's brother in a duel. Here, too, Squire kills a fighting dog in self-defense. Marsden and the fighting dog's owner, Aaron Blevin, plot vengeance against Jesse and Squire. In exchange for Squire to be used as a bait dog for Blevin's other fighters, Blevin's daughter sets out to ruin Jesse's honor and marriage, which will be Marsden's revenge for losing Rachel to him. When Rachel arrives at the garrison, divorce threatens Jesse's marriage and Squire falls into Blevin's cruel hands. Will Squire survive his ordeal and find his way home while the Union army battles the Rebel garrison? Will Jesse survive the siege of Port Hudson? Will Rachel forgive Jesse's "affair" and for losing Squire?