(MENAFN- EIN Presswire) EINPresswire/ -- In Enoch Mast's Ballroom, acclaimed author Paul H. Lepp once again proves his mastery of historical fiction, weaving together eras, architecture, and moral reckoning into a story that resonates with haunting depth.

Set against the opulence and unrest of 19th- and early 20th-century America, the novel explores the life of Enoch Mast-a master craftsman whose work and choices leave an indelible mark on the grand mansions and turbulent times that shaped a nation.

The story unfolds through a tale once told to a stonemason by his boss-an account that spans from the plantations of the Antebellum South to the lavish estates of Cleveland's Millionaires' Row. Born in 1839, Enoch Mast's life mirrors the transformation of America itself: from hand-hewn stone to gilded splendor, from slavery to industrial might.

By 1914, Mast had become a sought-after artisan, securing a commission to renovate the Lasbrith family's grand ballroom on Euclid Avenue-a contract that would lead to both his undoing and his legend. When the Lasbriths fail to pay him, Mast takes an extraordinary stand: he seizes their ballroom, declaring it his own until justice is served.

As he waits inside the echoing chamber of his own making, Mast confronts the ghosts of his past-confessing ties to John Brown, a fateful connection to J.D. Rockefeller, and secrets that ripple through the nation's history. The ballroom becomes both prison and confessional, where truth and memory waltz toward an inevitable reckoning.

Through Lepp's meticulous prose and cinematic imagination, Enoch Mast's Ballroom captures not just a moment in time, but the soul of a craftsman caught between art and accountability. Lepp's deep understanding of America's architectural and social history lends the novel a rare authenticity, while his gift for storytelling transforms each scene into a living tableau of ambition, defiance, and destiny.

“Enoch Mast's story is about the architecture of conscience,” Lepp explains.“He built grand staircases, halls, and ballrooms, yet his greatest creation was the truth he could no longer contain.”

Rich with historical intrigue and emotional resonance, Enoch Mast's Ballroom invites readers to step inside a world where walls remember, floors bear witness, and every echo tells the story of a man-and a nation-haunted by what it built and what it buried.

Enoch Mast's Ballroom will be available in hardcover and digital editions beginning February 27, 2025.

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