[Juniata Iron Trilogy 02] • Brothers

The second volume of the Juniata Iron Trilogy, Brothers is a family saga set against the backdrop of Pennsylvania’s 19th century iron industry. Laird MacPhail, son of the slain iron master at Etna Furnace, struggles to come to terms with change: First the death of his father at the hands of person or persons unknown, then the realization that the mantle of responsibility for the whole iron plantation rests on his shoulders, his own dreams and preferences notwithstanding. Aware that neither of his brothers is suited to carry on the business, Laird puts away his dreams and gets to work. But the country is in turmoil that will ultimately lead to war and suffering not yet imagined. Laird’s brothers, Robert -- handsome, charming, and unreliable -- and John -- idealistic, dedicated and solitary – contrast with his stolid, honest, hardworking ways. Put them together and the MacPhail brothers make the consummate man. Taken one at a time, they struggle within themselves as the Civil War looms on the horizon. Central to their world is the question of who killed their father. Suspicion centers on Jude Trethaway, son of Adam’s life long menace, Simon Trethaway. But there is no proof of Jude’s guilt and it soon becomes apparent that he will get away with murder. What follows is the saga of the second generation of the MacPhail and Trethaway families as told by Ellie, widowed and alone after Adam’s death, by her son Laird, upon whose shoulders the responsibility for the Mt. Etna Iron Company falls, and by her grandson, William Trethaway, son of Ellie’s oldest son, Robert MacPhail, and Caddie Trethaway, daughter of Simon. A tale of tangled relationships, courage, dedication and ultimate forgiveness, Brothers will touch you, whether you have a brother or not.