Through stained glass: A Novel

In the wake of the Civil War, a handful of proud Southern families set out for Brazil, hoping to escape the turmoil of Reconstruction and find a new frontier of liberty. Their dreams quickly collide with harsh seas, bureaucratic obstacles, and a continent already claimed by centuries‑old settlements, leaving many stranded or forced to turn back. Amid this turmoil, Reverend Orme Leighton, a man torn between divided loyalties and a fierce sense of personal agency, abandons his Virginia pulpit and travels six thousand miles to São Paulo.

There, Leighton purchases a modest property and launches the Leighton Academy, a school that rapidly grows from a one‑man endeavor to a respected local institution. As the academy flourishes, his determination to rebuild a community and assert his ideas about self‑government shapes the lives of the displaced families around him. The novel paints a vivid portrait of hope, loss, and the stubborn resilience of those who seek a fresh start in an unfamiliar world.