Charleston follows the lives, loves, and shifting fortunes of the Bells — saints and evil-doers mingled in one unforgettable family — from the American Revolution through the turbulent antebellum years to the Civil War and the savage defeat of the Confederacy. Delving into our country's history as only he can, Jakes paints a powerful portrait of the Charleston aristocracy who zealously guarded their privilege and position, harboring dark family secrets that threatened to destroy them all. Sweeping from the bitterly divided Carolina frontier of the 1770s through the tragic destruction of the city during the Civil War, Charleston represents America's premier storyteller at his very best.