It all started with a telegram, stating that the unexpected death of his wife now left Charles Schultz, a young WWI veteran, with a release from a loveless marriage. Having been hiding out with family in West Virginia while his wife was overseas, Charles realizes that being back in his hometown may be just the place to start his life over again. In The Telegram, book one of a Christian historical fiction series, Charles decides to revisit his old stomping grounds of Guyandotte, West Virginia; a city he painted red with the likes of his best friend, now minister, Otis. As he walks up to Otis's house, he flashes back to growing up in the rural surroundings; recalling memories of train hopping with Otis, listening to the exuberant tales of his ancestry from his German grandfather and taking care of his family after his father's sudden death. The call to join the Army at age twenty-one led Charles to a whole new set of experiences, especially the misadventures he has with his crew of Army buddies. "If Ursla hadn't stopped her Papa, I'd probably be dead now, Coop. I reckon there really was a BIG man in the doorway to that kitchen, and it was her Papa after all " Billy Joe admitted. Charlie (Charles), Cooper, Walker and Billy Joe talked for days about the incident at the German restaurant. Although it wasn't very funny at the time that it happened, the more times the men told the story, the funnier and more exaggerated the story became. Even with the exciting antics in his life, Charles felt God still leading the way, speaking to him through prayer, his Christian upbringing and circumstances to let him know more was on the horizon. All it took was a telegram to start again.
