Characters
Franklin Biggs
Franklin Biggs stands as a formidable figure, a descendant of Sallie Biggs, once enslaved by Michael Rowen. Commanding influence over the African-American populace of Howsen County, Franklin negotiates with both Joshua and James, despite their disdain. Yet, their opinions are of little consequence to him, for his focus is on achieving victories for his community. A shrewd businessman, Franklin delivers the "black vote" and aligns his community with the ambitions of Blue Star Mining. Unlike Joshua, he feels no kinship with the land, nor does he share the thrill of spotting the elusive wolf.
Sallie Biggs
Sallie Biggs, brought into Michael Rowen's life shortly before his demise at Patrick's hands, harbors secrets. Expecting Michael's child, she conceals the father’s identity until Patrick's debts threaten her son’s freedom. She pleads with Patrick not to sell her child, but he ignores her desperation. Her lineage eventually spearheads the civil rights movement as the saga unfolds.
Tommy Jackson
Tommy, loyal husband to Mary Anne, has adored her for as long as he can remember. When farming lands fall to the hands of Blue Star Mine, he takes up mining, laboring diligently while supporting the union cause. However, fear overcomes him, leading to betrayal. As Mary Anne denounces him publicly, an enraged group of strikers ends his life.
Morning Star
Morning Star, once a free spirit of the Cherokee, becomes entangled in Michael Rowen’s dark world. Abducted and brutally mistreated, she suffers greatly. Her desperate attempt to flee results in a cruel injury that mars her for life. Resigned to her fate, she instills in her son Patrick a deep-seated hatred and fear of his father. Ultimately, she persuades Patrick to slay Michael, seeking freedom with her lover, Joe Talbert. Yet, when Patrick turns on Joe, her spirit shatters, and she vows for vengeance. Bound by resolve, she ensures her descendants relinquish their land to Talbert's heir. Though she loves her son, she cannot erase the shadow of his father, nor the atrocities committed against her people. Forgiveness remains elusive.
Ezekiel Rowen
Zeke, or Ezekiel, inherits more than just his father’s legacy; he bears the weight of his grandfather's ruthless streak. Taking on the mantle of a minister, Zeke plots a sinister path of vengeance against the Talberts. His scheme to annihilate the male heirs, including young Randall, and destroy the daughters through heinous acts, fuels the Rowen reclaiming of land. Unlike his brother, Zeke finds no fault in Patrick’s betrayal of a half-brother, nor in threatening a child, nor in conjuring plans of terror under the guise of a man of God.
Jed Rowen
Jed Rowen perpetuates the family's dark legacy, taking the lives of Richard Talbert and overseeing the brutal fate of Randall Talbert and his sisters, Rose Anne and Julia Anne. Though he regains the Rowen land, his fortunes mirror those of his grandfather, as he foolishly sells mineral rights for a pittance, despite their immense value.
Joshua Rowen
In the closing chapters of The Kentucky Cycle , Joshua Rowen emerges alongside James Talbert Winston and Franklin Biggs. Unlike his ancestors, Joshua carries an air of integrity. As president of the miners' union, he strives to balance the welfare of his members with industry demands. Tragedy strikes when his son, Scotty, perishes in an unsafe mine, yet Joshua's bond with the land, despite its scars, runs deep. He senses its pain and seizes the chance to heal it. Uncovering the long-buried remains of Patrick’s sister, he insists on returning her mummified body to the earth. Joshua's journey concludes in the wild beauty of the landscape, where he witnesses a...
(This entire section contains 1355 words.)
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wolf bounding across the ridge, filled with untamed joy.
Mary Anne Rowen
Mary Anne, Jed’s daughter, nearly succumbs to devastation as mining companies ravage her beloved forests and mountains. In a final act, she weds Tommy Jackson and bears the grief of losing all her sons to typhoid. Inspired by Abe Steinman, she contemplates unionizing the miners. Following Abe's arrest and Tommy's treachery, she casts off her married name, fervently leading the union cause. Mary Anne becomes an enduring symbol, inspiring countless miners and their families in their struggle for justice.
Michael Rowen
Michael Rowen, the patriarch of the Rowen family, dominates the early narratives, setting a grim moral tone. A criminal at heart, he begins his blood-drenched legacy by murdering Earl Tod, a Scottish trapper. His treachery extends to his accomplice, Sam, in a bid to earn the Cherokee’s trust. Michael’s brutality knows no bounds; he spreads smallpox among the Cherokee and abducts a young woman, Morning Star, forcing her into marriage. The cycle of violence continues, from threatening his wife to ending the life of their infant daughter. Michael's legacy of fury and murder taints the destinies of his descendants, positioning him as a pivotal character in understanding the unfolding drama.
Patrick Rowen
Patrick Rowen, the offspring of Morning Star and Michael, is haunted by a family tragedy. His sister, a newborn, was cruelly taken from this world by his father, a deed which etched a permanent scar in Patrick's heart. The shadows of hatred and fear towards his father loomed large in his life. Feeling oppressed by the figures surrounding him—his father, his mother, his beloved Rebecca, and her father, Joe Talbert—Patrick's life spiraled into darkness. Consumed by his grievances, he ultimately murders his father and Rebecca's as well, driving his mother into exile out of fear for her life. In a twisted echo of his parents' grim union, he subjects Rebecca to a cruel violation. When Morning Star returns after many years, she finds Patrick bartering away everything he owns to a faceless stranger—everything, including his half-brother, Jessie Biggs. His own son, Zach, is repulsed by Patrick's merciless actions and abandons him. Unlike his father, Patrick survives into decrepitude, a drooling old man whose thoughts are captive to fantasies of vengeance.
Zachariah Rowen
Zachariah, or Zach, is Patrick's youngest progeny, who seizes upon the injustices of his lineage. To him, all are equal—be it his brother or Jessie Biggs, birthed by his family's slave, Sallie. The revelation that Jessie is Patrick’s half-brother compels Zach to implore his father not to sell Jessie. When his pleas fall on deaf ears, Zach departs, disappearing from the family's narrative. Zach embodies the conscience of the Rowen family, and his absence leaves them adrift in a moral vacuum.
Abe Steinman
Abe Steinman, a fervent union organizer, sees the Blue Star Mine, nestled upon what was once Rowen land, as ripe for change. He rallies the miners and their wives to his cause, but betrayal strikes in the form of Tommy, leading to his tragic demise.
Jeremiah Talbert
Jeremiah Talbert, son of Joe, returns fueled by vengeance against Patrick. With Morning Star and the legal system as his allies, Jeremiah forces Patrick to relinquish all he possesses, reducing him to a mere sharecropper on the soil that once bore his family’s name.
Richard Talbert
Richard Talbert, heir to the legacy of Jeremiah, holds sway over the land that once belonged to Patrick. He becomes entangled in a web of retribution spun by Zeke and his son, Jed. Jed infiltrates Richard’s Civil War company, striking him down amidst the chaos of battle.
James Talbert Winston
James, a descendant of Jeremiah Talbert and the proprietor of Blue Star Mine, stands as a cold-hearted capitalist, prioritizing profit over human lives. When a cave-in claims over twenty miners, including the son of Joshua Rowen, James fails to offer a sincere apology, despite his culpability. Yet, unlikely alliances form as he, Joshua, and Franklin Biggs become influential figures in Howsen County. James disinters the remains of Patrick Rowen's sister, eyeing the exquisite baby quilt crafted by Morning Star for her ill-fated child. As the narrative concludes, he acknowledges the waning prospects of mining but remains blind to the land’s intrinsic worth, disconnected from its essence. Together with Franklin, he watches as Joshua's cries mingle with the wild call of the wolf, pondering if madness has claimed him.
Zach
See Zachariah Rowen
Zeke
See Ezekiel Rowen
