Decision at Fletcher's Mill by David Caringer - Review

Book details

Paperback: 300 pages

Publisher: Elm Hill (March 12, 2019)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 159555789X

ISBN-13: 978-1595557896

Book description

The American revolution has no end in sight. Slavery has plagued the southern colonies as long as anyone can remember. The British have opened a second front in the south. Southern society is fragmented as rebels strive to throw off British tyranny, while loyalists fight to remain under English rule. Neighbor turns against neighbor. Families are torn apart.

Young Billy Morgan enters this chaotic world as a militiaman during the decisive battle of Cowpens. He becomes the butt of many jokes before the battle by trying to gain acceptance from his comrades through a foolish boastful lie. At Cowpens, the other men learn that there is much more to Billy Morgan than any of them thought possible when he leads them into the fiercest part of the fight. He is rewarded with a promotion and given a task that is much larger than his limited experience and apparently questionable character would seem to support.

Ira Fletcher is one of the richest men in South Carolina. He has powerful political connections. Fletcher is a complex man with a fiery past, and a passion for the Gospel. He owns Fletcher’s Mill and almost everything around it for miles. Rumors abound regarding vast treasure hidden in or under the mill. Ira abhors slavery. He elevates former slave, Ezekiel, to a position of authority at the mill. Elizabeth, Ira’s orphaned granddaughter, is raised by the widowed Ira, Ezekiel, and family friend Mona Partridge. The jealousy of His planter neighbors explodes into cruel violence that threatens everything Ira holds dear. He is forced to choose what is truly valuable.

Love and loyalty, greed and violence, courage and grace all abound as these people and many others are drawn together. Choices must be made. Change is coming. It is a time of weighty decision at Fletcher’s Mill.

Meet the author - David Caringer

David Caringer was born in Chicago in 1957. He grew up with two older brothers and a younger sister. Their father was a Nazarene minister and their mother was a sweet and saintly lady of the church. The family moved from Illinois to southern California and then to Missouri where he finished High School and joined the US Army to become an infantry paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division. Far from home and family, Caringer turned quickly away from his strong moral upbringing and became involved in the hedonistic lifestyle of sex drugs and rock & roll that was so prevalent in the post Vietnam army of the 1970's. His life became a dark and dank search for love joy and peace through people, events, and places that were incapable of providing or even comprehending the true meaning of those virtues. This time was punctuated with many moments of true humor and stark terror.

Living a desperate double life, Caringer was involved in many grand adventures and senseless tragedies over a period of nearly thirty years. He was educated in college, in numerous military and civilian training schools, and on the street. His professional resume includes occupations like paratrooper, police officer, army officer, private investigator, and many others. His tragic lifestyle of rebellion against all that he had been taught as a child provides a dark description of a man full of rage, loneliness, passion, and stubborn selfish pride.

Thankfully, his story doesn't end there. In January of 2003, during a time of desperate trouble, Caringer finally came to the end of himself and found redemption in and through Jesus Christ. The explosion of change in him since this event has been so profound that he is now hardly recognizable as the same person. He has lived this new life now for over twelve years, having found the true source of love, joy, and peace. He now works in the low voltage security industry. He is also a volunteer chaplain and an ordained non-denominational minister of the Gospel. He and his wife Patti live in southwest Missouri where they are heavily involved in the discipleship and Life Group (house church) ministries of James River Church.

You can purchase the book at Amazon: Decision at Fletcher's Mill

My thoughts

I enjoyed reading this book. The writing was nice and easy to read. It was like the story flowed off the pages. I liked the subject and time frame.  The characters were well developed.  In fact the more I read about Ira the more I loved him.  I would like to know more about Ezekiel. He seemed liked he would be an interesting person.  I also had a soft spot for Billy.  Now I can't say the same for Crispin or Throckmorton.  They were the characters you love to hate. I am looking forward to the next book and hope to hear more about Billy and Elizabeth's story and what lies in their future.