 Eli Moreau's character combines the best of both his parents. From Sarah, he had learned to value and respect his blood tides to the Dubois family. And like her, he felt tremendous loyalty to his white counterpart on the family tree. He and Eddie Grenville had grown up together, always knowing they were second cousins. As little boys they were playmates. When their families moved to Aiken during the war, they were teenagers hanging out together in the barn to escape the grown-ups. And as adults they were natural partners in their plans to turn the Aiken property into a successful business venture. But Eli was also his father's son. He felt both tremendous loyalty to, and responsibility for, his African-American roots. He was outspoken in his defense of those who were brutalized because of the color of their skin, and brooked no nonsense from those who treated him with disrespect. The period of Reconstruction could have been as dangerous for him as it was for his father, if it were not for the tempering influence of his mother. She cautioned him to hold himself above the fray, and for the most part, he did so. Eli will play an important role in "Yankee Reconstructed" when his loyalty to his white family comes into immediate conflict with his own racial identity.  As a side note, readers of "Damned Yankee" will remember that Eli had a younger sister named Rosie. She left the family at the end of the war to finish her education and then become a teacher on St. Helena Island. That effectively removed her from becoming involved in the events taking place in Charleston and Aiken during Reconstruction; thus the new book is not her story. |
