They have mules. The past is more stubborn. AFTERMATH is a story spun from persistent memories of the Civil War and its violent sequels, from Appalachian culture and the often tragic history of the American South. Cynthia and J.P. Kinsor, both survivors, each face seemingly impossible challenges. Cynthia, wearing a mysterious past as she lives her struggle, journeys well beyond the realm of conventional behavior. Still, the unlikely couple confronts their troubles with mutual affection. All with the support of colorful neighbors and friends - who make up a well-developed cast of characters who stand opposed to the violence of night-riding terrorists, the "Whitecappers," agents of bigotry and hate. The late Paul M. Pruitt, Sr. has written a novel of moral ambiguity and personal justification, a tale that reaches out from his past to our present. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Paul M. Pruitt, Sr. (1919-2008) was a soldier, teacher, and civil servant. A product of the Great Depression and Second World War, he was an avid reader and a lifetime student of Southern history and literature. Late in life he worked to turn his recollections of farm life and growing up - in particular, stories told to him by an old Confederate veteran - into a novel, which he finished shortly before he died in December 2008.