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This Scorched Earth

A Novel of the Civil War and the American West

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This Scorched Earth

By: William Gear
Narrated by: Alex Hyde-White
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This Scorched Earth is an amazing tour de force depicting a family’s journey from near-devastation in the Civil War to their rebirth in the American West, from New York Times bestselling author William Gear.

The Civil War tore at the very roots of our nation and destroyed most of a generation.

In rural Arkansas, the Hancocks were devastated by that war. They not only lost everything, but experienced an unimaginable hell.

How does a traumatized human being put themselves back together? Where does a person begin to heal his or her broken mind…and does one choose damnation or redemption? For the Hancock siblings: Doc, Sarah, Butler, and Billy, the American frontier becomes a metaphor for the wilderness within—raw, and capable of being shaped. Self-salvation, however, always comes with a price.

Their journey is a testament to the power of love…and the American spirit.

This is their story. And ours.

Genre Fiction Historical Fiction War & Military War Civil War Wild West Old West Civil War Fiction
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Critic reviews

“Gear’s This Scorched Earth is a sprawling but thoroughly engaging journey of a family from the Civil War to the opening of the American West. The word “epic” is overused — but this time it fits.”—C. J. Box, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“The novel that Gear has always been meant to write.”—Craig Johnson, New York Times bestselling author

"Gear is a national treasure...This Scorched Earth combines a vision as vast as our tragic civil war with the steady, unrelenting pace of a modern-day thriller."—Loren D. Estleman

“More than an epic novel of the Civil War; it is a thrilling and haunting experience; you will never think of the Civil War in the same way again.”—Margaret Coel, New York Times bestselling author

“Not for the faint-hearted, This Scorched Earth will keep you reading till the last page is turned.”—Kat Martin, New York Times bestselling author

“For the millions of readers fascinated by the Civil War, This Scorched Earth is a must-read.”—Lucia St Claire Robson, #1 New York Times bestselling author

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So purely tough, beautiful and excellent storytelling that is so compelling that cannot put your headphones down.

Purely tough, beautiful and excellent.

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