This is John Batchel, conversation with Barbara Weisberg, her new book, Strong Passions,

a scandalous divorce in Old New York. Old New York is Civil War, before and after the Civil War,

two extremely well-to-do upper-crust families, the Stevens and the Strongs, Manhattan, well-married, well-turned. Children come along in time.

And then Barbara Weisberg takes us into what happens when a divorce is inevitable, when there is

no reconciliation in Old New York, Civil War New York. There are no happy endings, but there is no reconciliation in Old New York, Civil War, New York.

There are no happy endings, but there is a revelation of how the law has changed profoundly in 150 years, but people haven't.

There's Barbara Weisberg on, strong passions, a scandalous divorce in Old New York.

Peter the husband, marry the wife, Edward, the lover, Peter's brother.

Much more tomorrow.

Mary subsequently says that the touch ignited fire in her heart.

And that at that point, an affair begins with Edward.

Now, Peter, this is obviously secret.

Peter knows nothing of this.

Mary,

finally, both Peter and Mary are devoted to their children.

And shortly after, well, when Edward is ready to go to war, and we are looking at the winter of 61, just about Christmas.

Mary's youngest daughter, she's only about a year old, becomes very ill.

Edward is in the house, but he's there on furlough, he goes back to the war. And little baby Ediths attended by both her parents who adore her dies.

It's now January, 1862.