Jewel of Promise begins in late 1860 with newly married Olivia and Alex Duncan ending their long anticipated honeymoon amid the rumbles of discontent in the pro-slavery southern states. Alex’s honeymoon gift to Olivia, a black onyx and gold filigree broach, is destined to symbolize a promise of hope they never dreamed possible.
When Lincoln wins the presidential election, they decide to visit Alex’s family in South Carolina. Over the course of the next year, they live through Ft. Sumter, the domino secession of southern states, and the war cries of an enraged South. Measuring their understanding of God and humanity against the senior Duncan’s statements, Alex and Olivia sadly leave the South while it is still possible.
The day comes when Alex must leave Olivia to join the Union Army. Shortly afterward, Olivia learns she is pregnant. Then comes the fateful day when Alex’s name appears in the local newspaper as missing in action and presumed dead. Unable to accept the news, Olivia begins her search for Alex. Going from one military hospital to another, she eventually devotes herself to nursing as she tries to put her life back together. Yet she continues to hope . . .
From the battles of Vicksburg and Gettysburg to the eventual battle at Appomattox, here is a stunning story of courage and honor.
From the Back Cover
As the nation splinters in two around them, will Alex and Olivia ever be together again?
In The Silver Highway Olivia and Alex were confronted with a desperate effort to save the lives of runaway slaves. Torn between their Southern heritage and their convictions, they had to decide whether they would risk their lives to assist the Underground Railroad in its mission.
In Jewel of Promise, they face an even greater danger to their lives and their love. The escalating conflicts of the Civil War separate them from each other and from the friends they love. On the battlefield and on the homefront, Alex and Olivia must deal with crucial questions about their faith and their priorities.
Can they, as Christians, support this war? And, given the brutality of the battle, will they ever see each other again?
Could she still believe the promise when everything spoke of horror and death?