Timeline:
1845: Julia &
Matthew Taylor are married
1847: Oldest son Matt is born
1849: Jenny is born
1851: Justin is born
1856: Nantan Lupan
kidnaps Julia & Justin
1857: Jimmy is born;
Faith is born soon after
1862: Matthew finds
his wife & child
1875: Year of Grace Falling Like Rain; Taylors celebrate 30 year anniversary
1877: Book #2, Mercy’s Face takes place
1883: Book #3, Torn Asunder takes
place with flashbacks to 1856
1890, 1892, & 1900: Book #4 The Last Key takes place, primarily in Galveston, Texas (1900)
1902: Book#5, With Liberty & Justice takes place, primarily in Austin, Texas
Present day: Book #10, Anchor Point takes place in Dalton (fictional) & South Texas
Book 1 - Grace Falling Like Rain - Texas, 1875
Main characters in this story.
Patriarch - Matthew Taylor
Matriarch - Julia Stockton Taylor
Their children, in order of birth:
Matthew "Matt"
Jenny
Justin
Jimmy*
Faith* (adopted)
*their father was Nantan Lupan
Marriages
Matt married Catherine. Their children are Tres, William, and Michael.
Jenny married Marcus Kimball. Their children are Josh, Luke, and Maggie.
Other main characters include Allie Blake (her family & kinfolks have minor roles), John Stockton (Justin's uncle & Julia Taylor's brother), Nantan, Lupan (Jimmy & Faith's father), Nah-kay (mother of Nantan Lupan, Vestal (nanny, cook, housekeeper), Florine Locke & her parents make an appearance, George & France Samuel are introduced
Book 2 - Mercy's Face - Texas, 1877
The main characters in this story.
Patriarch - Matthew Taylor
Matriarch - Julia Stockton Taylor
Jenny's family has another boy: Clifford.
Justin has married Allie Blake. Their only child at this time is Grace.
Jimmy marries Mercy Locke.
Faith marries Ethan Murray. Their child at this time is Caitlin (5) from Ethan's first marriage.
Another key family is introduced in this story: George & France Samuel, who adopted 11 children: Mac (4), Emma (6), Zane (6), Finn (9), R. James (9), K. James (10), Annie (10), Jenna (10), Lorelle (11), Joseph (12), and Katherine (13). Caitlin (5) stays with them for a while, too.
Other main characters include Florine Locke (spoiled banker's daughter), Eustace Ashton (the gambler Florine ran off with), Florine's parents Langston & Hazel Locke, Matilda & Rune (Locke's cook & her husband), Ethan Murray, and more.
Book 3 - Torn Asunder - Texas, 1883 (with flashbacks to 1856)
The main characters in this story.
Patriarch - Matthew Taylor
Matriarch - Julia Stockton Taylor
Jenny's family is the same.
Justin and Allie's children at this time are Grace, Max, Bradley, & Mary J.
Jimmy (26) and Mercy's children are Jack (5), Mae, & Biriney. Mercy is 29 years old.
Faith and Ethan Murray's children at this time are Caitlin (almost 12), Ella Vae, Cele, and Sam.
George & France Samuel's family is smaller because the three oldest kids are out of the house, but Finn (14) plays the biggest role. The flashbacks involve Nantan Lupan, and his mother Nah-kay is still around, living on the Taylor property.
Book 4 - The Last Key - Galveston, Texas, 1900
The main characters in this story.
Grace Taylor - Grace is the granddaughter of Matthew & Julia Taylor. Her parents are Justin & Allie Taylor, who live on a ranch outside of Dalton, Texas. Chapter 1 of this story takes place in 1890 - Grace is 14 yrs old; Flashback to 1892 - she is 16 yrs old; 1900 - she is 23
Finn Samuel - Finn is one of the children George & France Samuel adopted in Book 3; Chapter 1 of this story takes place in 1890, and he is 21 yrs old; 1892 - he is 23 yrs old; 1900 - he is 30 yrs old
Other key characters: Lucius Roderick, Marguerite St. John, Juju Synatzske, Kitty Synatzske (18), Pearl/Katherine (Kitty's birth mother), Daisy Thorne (actual person), Dr. Joe Gilbert (actual person), Rabbi Henry Cohen (actual person), Maggie Kimball (Grace's cousin)
Book 5 - With Liberty & Justice - Austin, Texas, 1902
The main characters in this story.
Jack Taylor (24) - oldest son of Jimmy & Mercy Taylor of Grace, Texas; grandson of Matthew & Julia Taylor
Kitty Synatzske (20) - daughter of Juju (Jewel) Synatzske of Galveston
Justis Johnson
Liberty "Berty" Alexander, husband Ira and children, Marcus, Hadassah, Ethan & Biddie
Other characters - Jarvis Baldwin & Link Segal, Jimmy & Mercy Taylor, Louis the livery boy, Ned Green (actual person), Hokee & daughters Winnie & Dinah, Lucius Roderick, Juju Synatzske, Katherine Williams, Finn & Grace Samuel, Dr. Joe Gilbert (actual person)
The main characters in this story.
Taylor Samuel Abbott (45) - descendant of Justin & Allie Taylor, and Grace & Finn Samuel
Thomas Abbott (43 yrs. old) - husband of Taylor
Beau Hunter - country western singer
