As the Civil War tears the nation apart, a mostly forgotten statute threatens its very soul: the Law of Substitution. This cynical pact, allowing the wealthy to purchase a poorer man's life to face the bullets in their stead, sets the stage for Judgment Tree--a character-driven saga of sacrifice and the harrowing search for redemption. In New York City, ruthless profiteer Roscoe Pierce thrives on brokering lives.
When the city explodes into the deadliest race riots in American history and a young Black girl is accidentally killed, a seed of guilt takes root in his hardened soul. By his side is Rosella, a resilient woman whose yearning for freedom for herself and her son, Gabriel, forms a powerful countercurrent to Roscoe's dark ambitions.
Far from the city, Confederate Colonel Axel Strong miraculously awakens in a dead man's wagon at Gettysburg. Haunted by the loss of his son, Strong embarks on a quest for forgiveness that will challenge his deepest loyalties. Meanwhile, in Georgia, naive farm boy James Booth enlists as a substitute to prove his worth and win the girl he loves. Thrust into the brutal reality of combat, he faces an impossible choice: honor his military oath or desert to save his deathly-ill wife. Their paths converge in Blue River, Georgia, beneath the ominous shadow of the Judgment Tree, where the condemned face their ultimate demise.
A poignant epic with the emotional weight of Cold Mountain and the social resonance of Glory, Judgment Tree is a masterful exploration of the moral complexities of war and the unexpected capacity for redemption in unlikely souls. It is a timeless human story that reveals the true, devastating cost of a nation at war with itself.
About the Author :
Gary E. Parker is a best-selling and award-winning author of 20 traditionally published novels, including a Doubleday Crossings Book Club Main Selection, A Sports Fiction Book of the Year, and a Christy Award Top 3 for Fiction.
Having earned a B.A. at Furman University and a Ph.D. from Baylor, Parker has also completed six screenplays, with one sold and two optioned.
A much-requested speaker and radio, television and podcast guest, he currently lives in the Atlanta suburbs, where he picks his guitar, plays golf, and hangs out with his wife and family.
Review :
"A tour de force by a prolific author with well-developed writing chops, adding some luster to the already illustrious body of Civil War fiction meant to educate and entertain readers. Recommended." -- U.S. Review of Books
"A damning indictment of the excesses of unchecked privilege, delivered with gravitas and grace... A skillfully crafted, searing look at the meaning of honor and obligation during the Civil War, told with flair and finesse." -- Kirkus Reviews
"A Civil War story based on true events that will appeal to readers who enjoy realistic places, characters, and outcomes nicely developed within the dramatic flair of fiction... A plot driven by perception, beliefs, and challenges to convention." -- Midwest Book Review
Gary Parker is a master storyteller. His writing is cinematic, vivid, and vibrant. Whether a Civil War enthusiast or a Black history aficionado, Judgment Tree is a must read.--Jonetta Rose Barras, author of The Last of the Black Emperors and Whatever Happened to Daddy's Little Girl
Too often, historical fiction smooths over the damage done to real people. Judgment Tree does the opposite. Judgment Tree plunged me into the human wreckage of the War for Southern Independence. A serious, unsettling, and necessary book.--Brandon Stickney, author of American Monster: The Unauthorized Biography of Timothy McVeigh
