Seward's Folly

This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design. In the wake of the Civil War, proud Confederate aristocrat Jeff Sharp is forced to confront a world that has defeated him, impoverished him, and left his old loyalties in ruins. A letter from William H. Seward—the Union statesman he has long regarded as an enemy—opens a path Jeff cannot easily refuse, even as it tests every shred of his pride. What begins as a bitter summons soon becomes a clash of honor, humiliation, and reluctant possibility, as Seward's warmth, wit, and wartime scars unsettle Jeff's certainty about friend and foe. Summoned to Washington, Jeff enters the heart of a reunited nation he still resents, only to find Seward urging him to rise above sectional bitterness and serve the larger American future. Seward frames public service as the true mark of a gentleman and reveals the real opportunity: a dangerous, high-stakes mission tied to Alaska, a territory rich in timber, minerals, fisheries, and strategic value. As Russian, English, and American interests maneuver for control, Jeff is drawn into a contest of diplomacy, corporate greed, and imperial ambition. At sea, a tense confrontation with an English vessel pushes him to a fateful decision, forcing him to choose between old hatreds and a new allegiance.