Buzzards Laid Me and the Sun Hatched Me: A novel of war and love in the American 1860s

Old Jackie Heniford is a hard-as-nails survivor. He emigrated from England to rural South Carolina and raised a large family in harsh living conditions. Whenever he is asked about his former life, he claims “The buzzards laid me, and the sun hatched me.” He, his second wife, and their nine children all do their part to help out around the farm. The Civil War, however, will change all of their lives forever.

Old Jackie’s eldest son, Tom, decides to enlist in the Confederate army. His choice will take him far away from home and into dangerous situations. Meanwhile, Tom’s romantic relationship with the mail circuit rider, Liddie Ann, places the Henifords in contact with Liddie Ann’s pompous family. Her brother and father strenuously oppose the match.

Old Jackie’s daughter, Jehan, faces her own trials during the war. When she meets Ruben, a runaway slave, she bonds with the courageous young man. As her neighbors fight for their right to keep humans in bondage, Jehan embarks on a dangerous mission to hide her friend from those hunting him.

This powerful family drama is a story of war, calamity, racism, and redemption.