As the Civil War tears the nation apart, a cynical pact known as the Law of Substitution allows the wealthy to purchase the lives of the poor to fight in their stead. In this sprawling, character-driven saga, four disparate lives are drawn into an inescapable vortex that converges in the small town of Blue River, Georgia.• Roscoe Pierce: A ruthless war profiteer in New York City who brokers lives with chilling efficiency until a tragic accident during the city's deadly race riots p...