The Titans by John Jakes

Jephtha is Jared’s son. Amanda and Jared had gone west and then became separated. With his ministry background, he is totally against slavery. The story starts just before the beginning of the Civil War. He helps slaves and then goes to work as a reporter for the Kent family newspaper that had been started by his aunt Amanda. He works in Washington and worries about his sons on the confederate side. Gideon starts to see war as an unpleasant means of solving issues.

The Kent Family Saga continues with the life of Jephtha Kent and how he relates as well as compares to Amanda’s son, Louis Kent. Jephtha is Jared’s son. Amanda and Jared had gone west and then became separated. Their lives took on different paths. Their offspring are a contrast caused by those different circumstances.

Jephtha had been a Methodist preacher and later became a newspaper reporter. With his ministry background, he is totally against slavery. The story starts just before the beginning of the Civil War. He has three sons and a wife whose father is a slave holder. He stands up against the system of slavery and alienates his father in law. His wife thinks Jephtha is unreasonable. He had also inherited a fortune from his father’s gold mine in the west but didn’t want to touch it. This further annoyed his spouse.

They soon divorce over their differences and she remarries. Jephtha loses his faith and the respect of his family, his sons included. He is soon run out of Virginia because of his views. He leaves the church and starts working on the Underground Railroad. He is helping slaves escape from their unfair owners. Not all slave owners were mean to their indentured workers but there was enough abuse to go around.

Jephtha is transforming into a different type of person. He helps slaves and then goes to work as a reporter for the Kent family newspaper that had been started by his aunt Amanda. He works in Washington and worries about his sons on the confederate side.
He hopes to someday see his sons again and reconcile with them. His former wife doesn’t care if he ever sees them again. Jephtha is still hopeful.

Molly Emerson is Jephtha’s lover and confidant. She cares about him and is concerned with his outlook and declining faith. She encourages him to get back to his prayers and belief in God. She is disappointed when he is having trouble getting back in touch with his sons. She knows it bothers him very much.

Gideon, his oldest son, has joined the confederacy. He met a girl in Richmond. This girl, Margaret is against the war while he sees it as all glory. She sees what war had done to her father while he was in the Mexican War and doesn’t want that to happen to Gideon. After the battle of Manassas, Margaret’s words start to get to him. Gideon starts to see war as an unpleasant means of solving issues. It is a terrible way.

Louis Kent, meanwhile, is an unscrupulous businessman who will do anything it takes to increase his profits. Michael, who Amanda had considered family, was watching over Louis but he didn’t like what he saw. He wanted to respect Amanda’s wishes but it wasn’t working. Louis was out of control. Michael ended up quitting. He couldn’t watch as Louis was making contracts with both sides of the war. Jephtha and the Kent family’s banker plan to expose him so he’ll stop what he is doing. You can see how the different personalities develop within the Kent Family during the early part of the 1860′s.

The Titans by John Jakes