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American Family Portrait #8
The Peacemakers
When America's most unpopular war unleashes violence both at home and abroad, the country's spiritual moorings are shaken as never before.
The Vietnam War. Hippies. Social protest. Racial tension. Onto this volatile backdrop of cultural and political turmoil, the latest generation of the Morgan family takes center stage. Easy-going Travis and his sister, Paige, an impassioned artist, are swept away by causes of the day-he, unwillingly, to Vietnam; she, of her own choosing, to demonstrations on college campuses. Both grow cynical as they are exposed to the horrors and hatred of ambitious leaders with deadly agendas. Crushed and to the point of ultimate despair, Paige finds a cause worth living for when she encounters the Jesus Movement and begins a personal journey with God. When Travis returns from the war, broken and disillusioned, Paige embarks on one last crusade, to bring him to the Christ who healed her. Join the thirteenth generation of the Morgan family in America for the dramatic conclusion to the series that began in the castles of England and stretches more than 300 years to the jungles of Southeast Asia.
The Vietnam War. Hippies. Social protest. Racial tension. Onto this volatile backdrop of cultural and political turmoil, the latest generation of the Morgan family takes center stage. Easy-going Travis and his sister, Paige, an impassioned artist, are swept away by causes of the day-he, unwillingly, to Vietnam; she, of her own choosing, to demonstrations on college campuses. Both grow cynical as they are exposed to the horrors and hatred of ambitious leaders with deadly agendas. Crushed and to the point of ultimate despair, Paige finds a cause worth living for when she encounters the Jesus Movement and begins a personal journey with God. When Travis returns from the war, broken and disillusioned, Paige embarks on one last crusade, to bring him to the Christ who healed her. Join the thirteenth generation of the Morgan family in America for the dramatic conclusion to the series that began in the castles of England and stretches more than 300 years to the jungles of Southeast Asia.
432 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
14 people are currently reading
221 people want to read
About the author
Jack Cavanaugh
36 books154 followersJack Cavanaugh is an award-winning, full-time freelance author with twenty-five published novels to his credit. His nine-volume American Family Portrait series spans the history of a nation from 1630 to the present and is still in print nearly fifteen years following its release.
A student of the novel for more than a quarter of a century, Jack takes his craft seriously, continuing to study and teach at Christian writers conferences. He is the former pastor of three churches in San Diego County and draws upon his theological background for the spiritual elements of his plots and characters.
His novels have been translated into a dozen foreign languages, largely because of the universal scope of his topics. Jack has not only written about American history, but about South Africa, banned English Bibles, German Christians in the days of Hitler and Communism, revivals in America, and angelic warfare.
Jack’s current writing schedule includes motion picture screenplays and e-book serial fiction with Internet distribution. His novel Death Watch has been optioned to be made into a motion picture by Out Cold Entertainment, Inc.
Jack has three grown children and lives with his wife in Southern California.
AWARDS
• Silver Medallion Award (1995), Christian Booksellers Association
• Christy Award (2002, 2003), Excellence in Christian Fiction
• Silver Angel Award (2002), Excellence in Media
• Gold Medal, Best Historical (2001), ForeWord Magazine
• Best Historical Novel (1994), San Diego Literary Society
• Best Novel (1995, 1996, 2005), San Diego Christian Writers Guild
A student of the novel for more than a quarter of a century, Jack takes his craft seriously, continuing to study and teach at Christian writers conferences. He is the former pastor of three churches in San Diego County and draws upon his theological background for the spiritual elements of his plots and characters.
His novels have been translated into a dozen foreign languages, largely because of the universal scope of his topics. Jack has not only written about American history, but about South Africa, banned English Bibles, German Christians in the days of Hitler and Communism, revivals in America, and angelic warfare.
Jack’s current writing schedule includes motion picture screenplays and e-book serial fiction with Internet distribution. His novel Death Watch has been optioned to be made into a motion picture by Out Cold Entertainment, Inc.
Jack has three grown children and lives with his wife in Southern California.
AWARDS
• Silver Medallion Award (1995), Christian Booksellers Association
• Christy Award (2002, 2003), Excellence in Christian Fiction
• Silver Angel Award (2002), Excellence in Media
• Gold Medal, Best Historical (2001), ForeWord Magazine
• Best Historical Novel (1994), San Diego Literary Society
• Best Novel (1995, 1996, 2005), San Diego Christian Writers Guild
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 11, 2019
I had reservations about reading The Peacemakers; it wasn’t my typical genre and I wondered if the story would keep my interest. Man, was I wrong about that! I fell in love with this book from the first chapter and now I want to go back and read the whole series!
The Peacemakers is book #8 in the American Family Portrait Series and I chose to read the series out of order because of the “Around The World In 80 Books” reading challenge I’m doing this year. With a portion of the book being set in Vietnam during the war, I couldn’t resist a Christian Fiction book with such a unique setting and crossing another Asian country off my list.
The story was told from the viewpoint of Travis and Paige Morgan, brother and sister navigating life in the 1970’s. Paige at college and Travis in Vietnam - both trying to figure out what their purpose was and most importantly, how a relationship with Christ is vital to a life with meaning. Every now and then, you’d get a glimpse into their parent’s world. (I’m betting if I read the series in order, I would have known more of their background. But even without it, I was still drawn into what their lives added to the story.) The author did an amazing job telling each character’s story from their viewpoint. In Vietnam, you felt the disappointment Travis experienced when his friends turned away from God to a life of sin. At college with Paige, you could sympathize with her need to be a part of something big, something that would end the war and help people. Finally, you could feel the heartache from their parents when things go terribly wrong - with both kids. It was a book that made you feel like you were right there in every scene. The descriptions brought everything to life. This was my first time to read one of Jack Cavanaugh’s books and I honestly say, I’m hooked!
Conclusion: This is probably one of the most vivid and important works you’ll read in fiction about both the Vietnam War and the anti-war protests going on in the US at the same time. In the story of Travis and Paige, you live through the questions, violence and grief people lived through during this war. As someone who was born years after Vietnam, I found this novel very interesting because so many of the feelings and scenes described happened in real life, albeit with real soldiers and protesters. A very captivating novel! I would highly recommend “The Peacemakers” to anyone interested in American history, the Vietnam War or someone who enjoys reading family sagas.
The Peacemakers is book #8 in the American Family Portrait Series and I chose to read the series out of order because of the “Around The World In 80 Books” reading challenge I’m doing this year. With a portion of the book being set in Vietnam during the war, I couldn’t resist a Christian Fiction book with such a unique setting and crossing another Asian country off my list.
The story was told from the viewpoint of Travis and Paige Morgan, brother and sister navigating life in the 1970’s. Paige at college and Travis in Vietnam - both trying to figure out what their purpose was and most importantly, how a relationship with Christ is vital to a life with meaning. Every now and then, you’d get a glimpse into their parent’s world. (I’m betting if I read the series in order, I would have known more of their background. But even without it, I was still drawn into what their lives added to the story.) The author did an amazing job telling each character’s story from their viewpoint. In Vietnam, you felt the disappointment Travis experienced when his friends turned away from God to a life of sin. At college with Paige, you could sympathize with her need to be a part of something big, something that would end the war and help people. Finally, you could feel the heartache from their parents when things go terribly wrong - with both kids. It was a book that made you feel like you were right there in every scene. The descriptions brought everything to life. This was my first time to read one of Jack Cavanaugh’s books and I honestly say, I’m hooked!
Conclusion: This is probably one of the most vivid and important works you’ll read in fiction about both the Vietnam War and the anti-war protests going on in the US at the same time. In the story of Travis and Paige, you live through the questions, violence and grief people lived through during this war. As someone who was born years after Vietnam, I found this novel very interesting because so many of the feelings and scenes described happened in real life, albeit with real soldiers and protesters. A very captivating novel! I would highly recommend “The Peacemakers” to anyone interested in American history, the Vietnam War or someone who enjoys reading family sagas.
August 22, 2016
Very good novel set in the 1960s.
January 2, 2019
The last of the 8 volume series, and again a very enjoyable read. I have thoroughly enjoyed this book series and am left with a kind of sadness at finishing the last volume. There are few book series particularly in fiction that are so good they leave you with a certain feeling of disappointment, almost a type of mourning, at reaching the end of the journey. The last such series was 'The Wingfeather Saga' i read to my granddaughters.
July 8, 2018
Vivid descriptions of Vietnam and an era of revolution
June 8, 2020
Liked reading about what was going on when I was 7 years old. I remember some from history classes.
March 20, 2015
3.5 stars. Quite good. I put off reading this for a while because it took place in the late 1960s and that is not a time period I had much interest in reading about. Nonetheless, it was quite good. It was interesting to see Paige, Travis, and their father's progression and growth during the story. I would only recommend it to older readers (probably 18+) because of some of the story's content. It deals openly with the rampant drug usage at that time, numerous mentions of promiscuity, and I am interested in reading the earlier books in the series mainly because I have always wanted to read a series that followed a family throughout American history. I blame Tom Tierney's American family paper doll series. The focus on the Morgan family's Christian heritage in Cavanaugh's series is a major bonus point.
December 22, 2008
I don't like it as much as the first 7 books, but Jack Cavanaugh still has a way of drawing you into the story and keeping your interest alive. It does show the awful situations of the 60's...I guess that's why I didn't like it as much; because of the immoral living condition of the college people. And I also wasn't sure what to make of the ending, about the "Jesus movement". It seemed to be leading people to Christ, but it was an unusual and odd sort of thing, and I felt uncomfortable with it. I'm sure the Lord did use the young people in that movement, but it just seemed to go against some of the Biblical principals. Maybe not.
Anyway, I enjoyed the book over all--the war part was exciting and emotional, as well as the rest.
Anyway, I enjoyed the book over all--the war part was exciting and emotional, as well as the rest.
August 21, 2008
Very good book and a wonderful ending to the series. Cavanaugh has a wonderful way of building anticipation and capturing the reader, and that's just what he does in this novel. The plot is touching and the Christian elements truly do move the soul. With this particular book of the series, it involves a relatively current day in time... it hits close to home and pulls at the heart strings. I would strongly recommend this entire series to others!!
August 11, 2011
An interesting take on the Vietnam era. Callahan covered as much as he could without being too broad. The character development was critical to this book. He did a good job. While this isn't the best book in the series, it captured the heart of this era nicely. Certain roles were expanded upon nicely and new roles were satisying.
November 29, 2012
After a shameful amount of years, I have finally finished this book.;)
March 6, 2014
Best series ever.
September 10, 2015
This series made me fall in love with American history!
August 25, 2014
I like this series of books.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews