In Puebla Fresa, New Mexico, in 1875, the new town marshal named Sam Moses makes quite an impression on the townspeople. After a shootout in the West Saloon, where three men died, Marshal Moses’ skills, and his ruthless manners, were met with skepticism. In the next chapter, the reader is introduced to a younger Samuel Moses Cardiff, who completed Teacher’s College in Albany, New York, and returned to his home in Elmira in 1861. His goal was to teach in a local school and marry the girl of his dreams, only to be thwarted by the Civil War. In The Law of Moses: Sam and Laura Story Book 1 by Kwen D. Griffeth, the effects on the soldiers from the Civil War is masterfully explored. The chapters alternate between the two time periods and provide the explanation underneath the Marshal’s behaviors. It is a story of post-traumatic stress disorder, before this disorder was recognized.

The author is able to skillfully illustrate the attitudes and beliefs of two different cultures. Sam’s family in New York was educated and supported the North’s beliefs against slavery. Sam’s time in the wild west depicts elements of another culture – with cattle drives, saloons, card sharks and gunfights. Every character is realistic and aptly described. The reader is easily engaged in both settings, and it is uncertain until the last chapter if Sam will deal with his memories and find peace. Author Kwen D. Griffeth has written a fascinating account of one man’s emotional hurt in his novel, The Law of Moses: Sam and Laura Story Book 1. It is an unforgettable story.

The Law of Moses: Sam and Laura Story Book One by Kwen D Griffeth is a story about redemption that is set in an important historical era. A young man opposes the Civil War but later enlists with the Union Army. Watch his journey as he becomes transformed by the scars of battle. Travel with him on his personal and spiritual odyssey in search of inner freedom and redemption. Can he find a place in his heart to forgive himself? Here is a story that will transport readers into the inner workings of the character’s heart; a story of war, of love, and redemption.

Kwen D Griffeth creates a wonderful character in Sam and readers will be instantly drawn to him the moment they come across him. The setting also comes across through the writing in very clear and powerful images. The prose is deserving of great praise; it is lyrical and highly descriptive. The excellent descriptions — of settings, characters, and dramatic moments — leave the reader with vivid images in their mind. Here is one description that captures a character, with a hint of humor: “The man was a little taller than average and well proportioned, except for his hands. His hands seemed to be at least one size too large for his frame. His face was not handsome, but striking. The three days’ growth of whiskers was not a fashion statement, but simply proof he hadn’t gotten to a barber.” The Law of Moses: Sam and Laura Story Book One is an exciting story filled with humanity, a story that will make readers laugh and cry, thanks to its emotional depth and clarity.

Show his father his coveted diploma, find a teaching job, marry the girl of his dreams. Those were the only plans on 20-year-old Samuel Cardiff's mind during his long train ride back home from college in The Law of Moses by Kwen D Griffeth. Life had not prepared him for the news that greeted him when he got off the train - his dad was no longer with them and his young brother had enlisted. Against his will, he joined the war for his brother's sake, and his mother's. Almost two decades later, Sam is now the new Marshal of Puebla Fresa and, within just a few days on the job, he shows the town his way of dealing with criminals. To most of the townsfolk, he comes across as strong, arrogant, and ruthless, but only one resident understands the demons that live in the Marshal's head because he too has traveled the same journey. Sam will do anything to be free from the demons. This is the story of how a decision that was never his changed a man's path, and all the demons it left behind. Will he ever heal and find true solace, or is it too late for him?

The Law of Moses by Kwen D Griffeth is a detailed and captivating story. The narration captures the pivotal character's emotions, his demons, and his thoughts in a simple yet very effective way. From how he is described at the very beginning, you can feel his raw torment and you are drawn in by the desire to discover the tragedies that left his soul so wounded. Sam's story gives a heart to the many soldiers that we often view as machines of war, forgetting that on both sides are men and women who are simply doing what needs to be done for their respective countries. Men and women with dear ones and with emotions. They are not the soulless killing machines the world often views them to be. Most importantly, this story highlights the scars, both physical and emotional, that many of them have to live with for the rest of their lives.

The Law of Moses: Sam and Laura Story Book One by Kwen D. Griffeth is the story of a man who thought he was far away from war, but his fate brought him right to war’s doorstep. The story follows Samuel Cardiff, a simple man who just wants to graduate from Teachers College, get a good position, and get married. He is a man of few words, but he has some very strong beliefs in education and God, and he lives by them. He was happy with his simple life, he lives in his bubble and he wants nothing to do with the outside world.

He fell in love, but now his life is going to be changed dramatically. Everything that he runs away from is finally catching up to him. Fort Sumter has been attacked and somehow, Samuel finds himself enrolled in the Union Army and fighting in the Battle of Antietam. As the dust settles around him, he is depressed and suffering from what we know now to be PTSD. But those were simpler times and Samuel is a simple man who does not understand what is happening to him. He was a man of faith and believed in peace? How can he forgive himself for the acts he committed in the war? How can he live with the war inside him?

The Law of Moses is a very intense and very emotional novel. I loved the fact that Kwen D. Griffeth gave Samuel real emotions and made him a real man, rather than a mythical war hero who fights, suffers and forgives, just like that. Samuel thinks, he suffers, his heart hurts, and he fights, but he finds it hard to forgive himself because he is real. This novel was tremendously entertaining, believable, and heartwarming. I loved it!

An amazing trilogy . Could not put these books down . Found myself reading as I worked , waking up and reading in middle of the night or just not sleeping altogether until i got the trilogy completed . Definite page turners