"North and South" is John Jakes's first novel since he completed his immensely popular "The Kent Family Chronicles." Although as his first hard-cover publication this novel represents something of a departure for Mr. Jakes, it remains solidly within the historical fiction genre of his previous work, and one can safely predict that this epic tale of the 20 years preceding the American Civil War will not disappoint his fans….

As one might expect in a novel played out on so vast a canvas, few characters are memorable. The focus here is on the momentous events of an era. The narrative shifts cinematically from scene to scene—North to South, plantation to industrial town—and each new scene or mini-drama adds a bit more detail to the author's overall portrait of a country splitting in two and the social dynamics that escalate its impending conflict.

The narrative style is straightforward...