Durant Family Saga: The Complete Trilogy

The Durant siblings‑William and Ella-are torn apart by clashing ambitions and a domineering father.

In the first novel, Imaginary Brightness, William and Ella Durant’s privileged lifestyle crumbles under their father’s (Doc Durant) shady business dealings. He plans is to rebuild their fortune in the Adirondack wilderness and summons them back to America. Land rich but cash poor, the Durants readjust to their new lifestyle in New York while putting up a front in social circles.

In the sequel, Castles in the Air, Doc Durant’s death means William takes over their vast landholdings. Like his father, William uses creative financing to develop his wilderness empire into a playground for the rich. Meanwhile, Ella heads back to London to pursue her dreams of becoming an author. The only thing holding Ella back is her brother, who controls the purse strings. When she falls for a French aristocrat who swindles her out of money, Ella is determined to get a bigger piece of the Durant fortune. William dismisses his sister’s entreaties. Instead, he builds a yacht, and sails to a regatta in Cowes, England hoping to impress his old aristo pals. This sets up a confrontation between the two that will last for decades.

In the last novel of the trilogy, The Night is Done, William befriends Doc Durant’s nemesis from the Transcontinental Railroad days, Collis P. Huntington. Desperate for cash, William borrows from Collis using the only collateral he has: land. Concerned over her brother’s lack of business sense, Ella takes him to court before she loses her fortune. The trial exposes the family skeletons which are splashed across the front pages of the New York papers.

Bitter rivalry, scandalous affairs, and insatiable revenge ultimately take their toll on the Durant dynasty.

Meticulously researched, this Gilded Age soap opera is based on actual events and historical figures.

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