The winds of war years bring conflict, fear, and challenges to the leading man in The Kerr Chronicles. His role as Assistant Secretary of State for Communication becomes even more demanding as he helps President Roosevelt rally the nation on December 7, 1941. As pastor of the most prominent Presbyterian church in America and as the single parent of two young children, John has his hands full. Increasingly lonely and longing for a wife, his prospective partner is repeatedly in harm’s way. Then a third woman comes into his life and an even greater quandary emerges.

LIFE HIGHLIGHTS
Born: Leeds, England, 1896
Occupation: Pastor, Statesman, Father, Suitor
Challenge: Women, power, evil, and loneliness
Quote: “Waving goodbye to Lis as the SS Nieuw Amsterdam set sail from New York harbor, I admitted to myself – for the first time – that I loved her. It was a powerful moment, framed more by fear than romance.”

Using her initials (JEFF) to move past the male-dominated power structure dominant in the 1940s, this brilliant daughter of one of the most influential designers in naval history, encounters new and dangerous challenges. When the Office of Strategic Services is formed in 1942, she becomes the first female member of this forerunner to the CIA.

The war years challenge her in every way and threaten to derail her relationship with John. Is she JEFF – the driven OSS member? Or is she Lis, the woman who loves to play with John's children and to hold his hand while they watch movies?

LIFE HIGHLIGHTS
Born: Berlin, Germany, 14 July 1902
Occupation: War Department Researcher and clandestine member of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS)
Challenges: The male-dominated power elite in Washington, the sinister forces of the Axis powers, and the Luftwaffe's blitz.
Quote: “The evil perpetrated by Adolf Hitler and his band of degenerates is beyond comprehension. Why does that seem to be so lost on FDR and his generals?”

Julia, now a widow for the second time, struggles with a loss of hope as she realizes that a personally fulfilling relationship will likely elude her. Her complex relationship with the Rev. John Knox Kerr offers a rare intimacy that cannot extend beyond the closed doors of the Providence Place library. The reality haunts her.

LIFE HIGHLIGHTS
Born: Boston, Massachusetts, 10 August 10 1880
Occupation: Adams Family Scion, Grandmother, Church Leader
Challenge: Finding her way as a widow in her sixties who is still in love with the father of her grandchildren.
Quote: “John, I’m not sure there is a path for us to follow. Each new year seems to produce personal challenges greater than the last.”

Daunting challenges continue to set the agenda for President Roosevelt. The effects of the Great Depression linger, even as the winds of war blow across the waters. He must manage England’s requests for aid while dealing with an isolationist congress, wayward children, and generals who seem hell-bent on making a name for themselves. He needs divine help – and knows it – frequently turning to Reverend John Kerr for private counsel.

LIFE HIGHLIGHTS
Born: Hyde Park, New York, 30 January 1882
Occupation: Third Term President, United States of America
Challenge: To lead America through global threats to peace while maintaining morale for a country yet to be attacked on its own shores.
Quote: “I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost, but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us. Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory, and our interests are in grave danger. With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph – so help us, God.”

“Never give in – never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense,” said England’s Prime Minister. Despite a legacy of service to country that extended throughout his adult life, Churchill was marginalized, his warnings about Adolf Hitler’s evil intentions ignored. But the dramatic failure of Neville Chamberlain opens the door for Churchill to take the reins. His decisive leadership is England's hope as it resists becoming a vassal state to Nazi Germany. Churchill's leadership is interwoven with FDR and the precocious little girl who has grown up to become JEFF. Be prepared to see a side of this giant that you’ve not seen before.

LIFE HIGHLIGHTS
Born: Blenheim, Oxfordshire, England, 30 November 1874
Occupation: Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Challenge: To hold off Hitler’s blitz long enough to get support from America and then to work with FDR to turn the tide toward victory.
Quote: “We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.”

The only thing Bill Bradford shares in common with his predecessor as chairman of the board of Park Avenue Presbyterian is a mustache. The unassuming, wealthy scion of a historic New England family, Bill is expanding the extensive real estate holdings that have been in his family since the Mayflower landed at Plymouth Rock. His commitment to the church, community, and nation are proving to be as extraordinary as he is. Despite all that he has and is.…

LIFE HIGHLIGHTS
Born: Boston, Massachusetts, 4 July 1894
Occupation: Real Estate Magnate; Chairman of the Session, Park Avenue Presbyterian Church
Challenges: Managing a vast amount of wealth during the impending War years and the anticipated boom years after.
Quote: “Actually, Julia and I have known each other for some time. I don’t know if you recall it, Julia, but you were my third-grade Sunday school teacher.”

The extraordinarily gifted Anne Bradford is beloved by all, not merely for her talent, wealth, and beauty, but also for her kindness, generosity, and relentless interest in the welfare of others. She does not leverage her power as wife of the Park Avenue Presbyterian Church board chairman, nor does she use her gifts to draw attention to herself. In John Knox Kerr's words, she is “almost too good to be true.” She has nothing – save her intellectual capacity – in common with her late predecessor, Veronica Turpyn.

LIFE HIGHLIGHTS
Born: Boston, Massachusetts, 14 February 1901
Occupation: Music consultant and volunteer; children's choir leader/organizer; occasional soprano soloist
Challenge: Finding ways and places to use her myriad talents and Juilliard education.
Quote: “I’m sure we do not want to be valued for our decorative value. I spend a good deal of time around musicians, actors – performers of all stripes – and I know how insecure they are because they are typically judged by their appearance. They are selling glamour – and much of the time, they end up resenting the buyers.”

Reggie's quick tongue and frequently inappropriate sense of humor increasingly grates on his West Wing colleagues. As hints of his latent anti-Semitism surface, his character, role, and agenda are questioned. Is he for us or against us? John, for one, is not sure.

LIFE HIGHLIGHTS
Born: Hastings, East Sussex, England, 31 October 1895
Occupation: Radio Strategist for President Roosevelt
Challenges: Impatience with his American colleagues; conflicting loyalties; womanizing.
Quote: “I’m just making an observation: the Jews control lending in Germany – and most of Europe, for that matter. Who can blame German businessmen for being tired of their usurious behavior?”

As the darkness in Germany spills over into the rest of Western Europe, Dr. Hans Bilder and the Sacramental Church are under increasing pressure from the Nazis. Unlike the Lutheran hierarchy in Germany, they have been unwilling to declare allegiance to the machinations of Third Reich. It will cost Dr. Bilder everything to remain faithful to God and His Word.

LIFE HIGHLIGHTS
Born: Breslau, Kingdom of Prussia, 4 February 1906
Occupation: Leader of the Sacramental Church and part of a secret group plotting to kill Adolf Hitler
Challenge: The spritiual and moral offenses of Adolf Hitler
Quote: “It can never be good, however, to deceive yourself about the truth, for if we deceive ourselves about the truth of our own life, we will certainly also deceive ourselves about the truth of God. And it’s certainly never godly to close our eyes – which God gave us so that we can see our neighbors and their needs – when they have to see sadness and horror. It is certainly never right, therefore, to avoid the things that frighten us and depress us.”

The reluctant first lady of the United States is making peace with her role. Challenged by FDR's latest female diversion, Princess Märtha of Sweden, Eleanor's reputation soars after her speech to the Democrat's national convention in 1940. Not wanting to appear too eager for an unprecedented third term, her husband sent her in his stead. She stole the show. Her influence and impact will continue growing.

LIFE HIGHLIGHTS
Born: New York City, 11 October 1884
Occupation: Surrogate for her husband … and rising to become the only rival to his influence.
Challenge: To have an impact on a very troubled world, with or without the help of her husband.
Quote: “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.'”

JAK, the firstborn child of John Knox Kerr and his late mother, Elizabeth, desperately wants a mother in his life. Wishing for a more normal life with Lis as his new mom, JAK is frustrated by the expectations and limitations placed upon him. But with his father as busy as he is – and no mother to nurture him – he struggles.

LIFE HIGHLIGHTS
Born: New York City, 7 December 1933
Occupation: Lonely son of John Knox Kerr
Challenges: Growing up without the close precence or guidance of his father … and no mother.
Quote: “JAK needs to grow up a bit. You can’t be a man of the house if you are always complaining about the shortcomings of the place.” (spoken by his father, John Knox Kerr)

Abigail is now a little girl, full of energy and creative sparks, but often downcast and sad. She longs for a mother and has never bonded with her grandmother, Julia. She loves Lis and misses her greatly when she is abroad for her War Department assignments.

LIFE HIGHLIGHTS
Born: New York City, 4 July 1937
Occupation: Daughter of Rev. John Knox Kerr; little girl
Challenges: Growing up without a mother in an overwhelming New York mansion.
Quote: “I wish I could get through to her, but for every good moment we have together, there are three or four not-so-good moments. I’ve failed her.” (spoken by her grandmother, Julia Adams)

Dr. James R. Grace is the host and featured speaker on the national weekly radio broadcast, “The Grace Hour.” The program, aired live from the Manhattan Beach Civic Auditorium, is carried by more radio stations than any other program in the world. Dr. Grace and John Knox Kerr are developing a meaningful friendship.

LIFE HIGHLIGHTS
Born: Fullerton, California, 12 March 1887
Occupation: Radio evangelist and Bible teacher
Challenge: A busy schedule with heavy ministry demands.
Quote: “To know the Word of God, to live the Word of God, to preach the Word, to teach the Word, is the sum of all wisdom, the heart of all Christian service.”

The butler and master of Providence Place, Dobbs remains fiercely loyal to Julia and, even though sometimes critical of her liaisons with John, will not abide criticism of her. He is a man driven by duty and honor.

LIFE HIGHLIGHTS
Born: Brooklyn, New York, 23 October 1880
Occupation: Butler, Providence Place
Challenge: To find grace amid the seriousness of his duties in service.
Quote: “I would remind you that Julia Adams Fairchild Vandermeer has outlived two husbands, neither of which was worthy of her.”

Nearly 20 years after Julia wooed him to America to serve as Chef de la Maison at Providence Place, Robert is beginning to feel retrained in his quest for culinary perfection. An aging Julia is beginning to host fewer elegant dinner parties, and Robert is longing for new opportunities. He dreams of having a restaurant of his own in Hollywood.

LIFE HIGHLIGHTS
Born: Paris, France, 7 May 1890
Occupation: Chef de la Maison, Providence Place
Challenge: To find a way to start a restaurant of his own in Hollywood.
Quote: “There is nothing to be maligned about a juicy, properly grilled hamburger. I agree that it can be quite tasty. But do not ask me to squander my skills on such trivialities. I have no room for that degree of compromise.”

Veteran nurse Satterhelfer is about to be challenged as never before. While she continues to care for JAK and Abigail, as an aging nanny, she is challenged to find a way to help restore a woman with catastrophic injuries to health.

LIFE HIGHLIGHTS
Born: Kleindeutschland, New York, 15 August 1882
Occupation: Nurse
Challenge: To keep up with the growing need for care by friends and family at Providence Place.
Quote: “It is not how much we do – it is how much love we put into the doing.”