Robert W Smith’s newest novel is available today!

Inspired by a true story, A Gamble on Liberty shadows the struggles of an East Tennessee community during the American Civil War. Captain Robert and Permelia Gamble lead the charge, both at home and on the battlefield.

Compelled by loyalty and circumstance, Robert enlists in the Union Army. Desperate to help their families, Robert and his comrades shuffle tirelessly between battlefield and home to smite their common enemy and deliver justice to their oppressors, while Permelia and their two slaves are left to lead the family and defend their home from bushwackers, deserters, and hostile neighbors during his absence.

Fueled by a deep love for one another and a mutual sense of patriotism, Robert and Permelia endure tragedy, imprisonment, estrangement, and loss in their struggle against the forces of darkness. Although simple farmers, the Gambles rise to extraordinary heights in their resolve to persevere despite unspeakable suffering and loss. As their beloved Tennessee Valley goes to war against itself, the Gambles, bound by faith in Abraham Lincoln, and driven by love of country, risk all in a desperate gamble on liberty.

“…Smith does a remarkably economical job of sketching out all of the plot’s complications; there’s scarcely an ounce of fat anywhere in this tale…the sheer tension of his story is irresistible.

A lean and compelling mystery set in the rough-and-tumble Chicago of the early 20th century.”

— Kirkus Reviews