The List by Robert Whitlow

a review

This book is set in the South, which is a big plus for me since I love the South so much. It begins in Georgetown, South Carolina, in 1863. The War Between the States was raging on, and a small group of men were meeting to begin something that would last well into the following century. They were concerned that when the North conquered the South, all their wealth would be plundered. So they took steps to prevent that. They made a list that was as secretive as it was wealth producing. This wealth was to ensure that future generations would never have to suffer. The Covenant List of South Carolina, Ltd. was its official name. Mysterious and intriguing.

Josiah Fletchall Jacobson, or Renny as he is called, is one of the benefactors of the List, but he doesn’t know it yet. When his father dies, events take place to call Renny to his heritage—and wealth. Along the way, he meets Jo Taylor Johnston, a pretty young woman who catches his eye. Over time, he finds out that she too knows about the List. She has been doing her own investigation. Jo is from Michigan and Renny from Charleston. Together they put their heads together to find out how they can profit from the List. The closer they get to solving the mystery, the stranger things become. Partly because those in charge of the List now think Jo is a man rather than a woman. The rules of the List forbid any endowments to women for any reason.

The story is well written and is a great mystery. Renny and Jo form a good friendship and more. They also come to know God in a fuller way as they realize the evil that is also part of the mystery of the List. Will they marry? What will happen to Renny’s share of the List’s fortune? You’ll have to read it to find out!