AMERICAN FORK, UTAH (October 12, 2001)- The turmoil and triumph of the Civil War are powerfully brought to life in the new epic historical fiction series, Faith of Our Fathers, by N.C. Allen. "The first printing of 15,000 copies sold out in two weeks," said Robby Nichols, Vice President of Marketing for Covenant Communications. "It's already one of the best-selling LDS books of the season."

Volume one of Faith of Our Fathers: A House Divided, begins on the eve of the Civil War, when the delicate fabric of a young nation threatens to tear apart. James and Jeffrey Birmingham, brothers, now find themselves and their families on opposing sides of a great and terrible conflict. Caught in the middle are the slaves who were desperate to find their place in a country drawing its battle lines.

"Although the idea of brother fighting brother is not new, it was a reality that can't be ignored," said author N.C. Allen. "Families at war with one another makes for good fiction, but was a tragic consequence of the Civil War."

It is through the fictional families that Allen portrays the historical events as those living through the conflict might have seen them. "I wanted to show the complex relationships that existed during the Civil War," said Allen. "A slave with fond feelings for a master but hatred for the imposed imprisonment or a daughter who abhors slavery even as her family embraces it as essential to their way of life."

Allen also highlights issues given scant attention in the past. "It is not widely known that women, although caught in a male-dominated society, were often not content to sit in the background," said Allen. "Women dressed like men and joined the battles, acted as spies and saboteurs for their respective causes, joined aid societies, and acted as masters of vast plantations."

"Although most Latter-day Saints were far removed from the conflict, they were still very much involved," said Shauna Nelsen, managing editor at Covenant Communications. "The Latter-day Saint characters show the reader how Church members and leaders viewed the vital issues of the Civil War."

Dr. Richard Cracroft from BYU Magazine said, "A House Divided is a rich and historically based tapestry of several fast-moving, exciting tales of a family divided, north and south, by abolitionism and slaveholding. It's a very exciting way to experience U.S. history."

Faith of Our Fathers: A House Divided, by N.C. Allen ($22.95 hardcover, $29.95 book on cassette, $29.95 book on CD) is published by Covenant Communications, and is available at bookstores everywhere, or at www.covenant-lds.com. Allen plans to have the next book in the series ready for fall of 2002.

Founded in 1958, Covenant Communications publishes more than 100 book, audio, and software titles annually, and is the largest independent publisher in the LDS market.