The Desolating Hand is a story of young Americans in border communities confronted with the reality of the civil war. Will Engle is parted from the friends of his youth and the girl he loves in the mountains of western Virginia and journeys to nearby Pennsylvania, where he faces a struggle between his religious upbringing and a wider view of the world. The sweep of the war from John Brown's raid to Appomattox brings forth the historic characters of military leaders and soldiers operating in the ambiguous world of partisan warfare. This tale of love and vengeance is wrapped around a factual account of the War between the States. Written by Lowell Gene Wise. 296 pages.