American Pied Piper

At the dawn of the 20th century, Beardstown, Illinois, is a city of contradiction.

A town of river rats, gamblers, and rail-yard workers, it’s also filled with the accoutrements and refinements that accompany wealth…whatever its provenance. In Beardstown, the God-fearing don’t just live side-by-side with the sinners—they often are the sinners.

Throughout the first half of the century, the state’s attorney is the formidable James McHugh, who makes his home in Beardstown and has spent his career fostering the town’s prosperity by keeping the balance between virtue and vice. For him, knowing when to look the other way is half the job. But when his son, the Yale-educated Milt McHugh, returns from WWII to take up his father’s position, he approaches the role with a very different sense of morality, as well as a desire to clean the town’s slate for good—public opinion be damned.

Forty years later, Milt is faced with a town in decline and the prospective fraud trial of a gaggle of corrupt investors known as “The Beardstown Ladies.” As he looks back on his life, his work, and the town his courage and moral fiber has created, he wonders: Was the sacrifice of freedom at the altar of decency worth the price the town has paid?

Following the people of Beardstown through a century of upheaval, renewal, and decay—and traveling from Prohibition-era Chicago to London and the Pacific during WWII to the soundstage of the Phil Donohue Show—American Pied Piper is the final chapter in a trilogy tracing the rise and fall of the American Midwest.

What readers are saying

“A highly readable and engaging narrative. . . . This book skillfully explores themes of individuality and collective identity, offering readers multiple perspectives on how best to make a community thrive. A solid final volume.” —Kirkus Reviews

“An engrossing historical trilogy. . . . Sam Foster has crafted a compelling exploration of a town’s transformation over a century . . . [with] winding turns and captivating plotlines. Foster’s storytelling perfectly captures the essence of a changing era and the moral dilemmas faced by its characters.” —Readers’ Favorite

“Sweeping across four generations, Foster’s take on the American Adamic myth is sure to spark lively debate. . . . I’m sure you’ll enjoy the trip.” —Mike Zarro, forty-year member of the State Bar of California

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