Book excerpt: The “deeply engrossing” saga of a 19th-century lumber baron’s twisted love for his family—from the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Captains and the Kings (The New York Times). Born into the humblest of circumstances, William Prescott is determined to amass a fortune large enough to ensure that his four children will never want for anything. He’ll do whatever it takes to achieve his goal, even if it means plundering Pennsylvania’s forests of every last tree and destroying anyone who stands in his way. As William’s business empire grows, so too does his insatiable need to be loved and admired. William’s wife, Ursula, tries to fill their ostentatious home with warmth and common sense, but her efforts are destined to backfire. The children resent her for trying to discipline them, and William’s ambition blinds him to any point of view but his own. Only when two of his spoiled children plot against him does William realize that the ties that bind the Prescott family have become warped beyond recognition. A riveting drama with a powerful message, Let Love Come Last is a masterwork from an author who “never falters when it comes to storytelling” (Publishers Weekly).