This Scorched Earth — W. Michael Gear

THIS SCORCHED EARTH is an amazing tour de force depicting a family's journey from near-devastation in the Civil War to their rebirth in the American West.

The Civil War tore at the very roots of our nation and destroyed most of a generation.

In rural Arkansas, the Hancocks were devastated by that war. They not only lost everything, but experienced an unimaginable hell.

How does a traumatized human being put themselves back together? Where does a person begin to heal his or her broken mind…and does one choose damnation or redemption? For the Hancock siblings: Doc, Sarah, Butler, and Billy, the American frontier becomes a metaphor for the wilderness within―raw, and capable of being shaped. Self-salvation, however, always comes with a price.

Their journey is a testament to the power of love…and the American spirit.

This is their story. And ours.