This wonderful work of historical fiction centers on the life of a prominent and successful doctor and his family in an unnamed town in the Midwest, and his conflicts with the powerful forces of Freemasonry that control that town. The book was written shortly after the real-life disappearance and presumed murder of Captain William Morgan, who in 1826 published a book called Illustrations of Freemasonry, allegedly exposing the secrets of the Craft. Due to the shock and horror that seized the public following the disappearance of Morgan, a popular movement against Freemasonry began that by some accounts led over 90% of the Freemasons in America to renounce the Lodge.

In the Coils does not delve deeply into the Morgan controversy, but it perfectly captures the sentiment that prevailed at that time, and is the backdrop of the love story that is at the heart of this work. It also cites books and provides quotes by prominent Freemasons, which clearly illustrate the true nature of the Craft. Many of these works are very difficult or impossible to find now. In the Coils also offers a rare glimpse of the American ideal that is seldom seen in contemporary literature. Click the image to download.